"Why Our Children?": SA Mourns College Student Asemahle Hanisi Found Dead After School Event
- Asemahle Hanisi, 19, was reported missing on 3 August 2026 after attending a West Coast College event in Citrusdal
- Her friends allegedly tried to stop an older, unknown man from taking her, but he turned aggressive and assaulted them
- Police opened a murder case after her body was discovered in an open field next to the Olifants River on Women's Day
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Source: Facebook
A 19-year-old West Coast College student was found dead in Citrusdal, Western Cape, a week after she went missing following a college event.
Asemahle Hanisi's body was discovered at approximately 11:00 on Sunday, 9 August 2026, in an open field next to the Olifants River. Emergency medical services declared her dead at the scene. She had been reported missing at the Citrusdal Police Station on 3 August.
Captain FC van Wyk, spokesperson for the Western Cape Police, confirmed her death and said the Citrusdal police had opened a murder case for investigation. No arrests had been made at the time of reporting.
What the family says happened
According to her family, Asemahle had attended a college event before she and her friends made plans to visit a local tavern. By that point, she had consumed a significant amount of alcohol.
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At some stage during the evening, her friends noticed her standing with an older man they had never seen before. When they tried to take her with them, the man refused and insisted she leave with him. Her family said Asemahle was quiet and barely responded at the time.
The situation turned violent when the man allegedly assaulted her friends as they tried to intervene. They eventually left without her. What happened between that moment and the discovery of her body remains unclear.
The Western Cape Police have appealed for anyone with information to contact the Citrusdal Police Station or Crime Stop.
Mzansi saddened by Asemahle's death
South Africans were devastated by the news and shared their grief in the comments section of the Facebook page:
@Zizipho Lolitha Makha said:
"It is so painful to raise a child and teach them, and then a man who kills them..."
@Wendy Asavela Vuza wrote:
"God, our children, why is this small child 😭😭😭"
@Nandipha Maka Otha Dadlana added:
"Yohh, Somanndla, be with that family; it's painful💔💔"
@Ncedo Qaqane asked:
"Who is the old man? Inyani mayivele [The truth must come out]"
@Noluvo Nokanyo wrote:
"Oh Lord, where did we raise our children, Lord, with these criminals."
@Nwai Marhudulu said:
"Ohh baby man sorry baby 😢"
See the Facebook post that drew attention to Asemahle's story below:
More on GBV and crime in SA
- Briefly News recently reported on new case findings involving the deaths of two young people found at a Sabie lodge, after post-mortem results contradicted early theories about what happened.
- A woman was allegedly killed by her boyfriend in front of her young son at a KwaZulu-Natal flat, with the child telling officers about previous incidents.
- A Free State man was arrested after the body of his four-year-old stepson was discovered at a cemetery, with a second unrelated case also reported in the same province.
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Source: Briefly News
