- Police opened an inquest docket after the body of a 51-year-old woman was found in a vehicle, with a seatbelt around her neck.
- The circumstances surrounding the death are not yet known, but police suspect she committed suicide.
- It is alleged the woman had an argument with her husband on Friday evening, according to a report.
Police in the Western Cape have opened an inquest docket after a 51-year-old woman was found dead in a vehicle, with a seatbelt around her neck, in Bonteheuwel, Cape Town.
According to police, the circumstances surrounding the woman's death are under investigation and it is suspected she may have taken her own life.
"It is suspected that she was responsible for her own death and a death inquest case docket has been registered," police spokesperson Colonel Andrè Traut said.
According to the Daily Voice, the woman, identified as Shakiera Lucas, had gone to her mother's house following an alleged altercation with her husband.
Lucas' sister, Edwina Jason, told the publication that she was last seen when she left their home on Saturday morning, having arrived round 01:00. She said her sister would never have hurt herself.
The paper reported that Lucas' body was found by her brother, who noticed the gate was not locked. When he went to check, he found her body slumped, with the seatbelt around her neck, in the passenger's seat of their nephew's stationary vehicle.
Incident
The Cape Argus reported that a statement by the Bishop Lavis station commander's office suggested the incident was linked to gender-based violence.
Ward councillor Angus McKenzie, in a statement, also pointed to the possibility of foul play.
He said the community was imploring the cops to leave no stone unturned in its investigation.
Replying to police stating it was suspected the woman took her own life, McKenzie said: