- A couple believes the remains found in Simondium on Monday is that of Nadine Philander, a girl who they raised.
- They had last seen her early in February.
- An inquest docket has been opened.
A couple, who raised a girl believed to be the decomposed body found in Simondium on Monday, said they recognised her by the pink nail polish on her toenails and the pants she was wearing, Son newspaper reports.
Sixteen-year-old Nadine Philander was found in the bushes on the farm where her foster parents, Eva and Patrick van Rooyen live, according to the publication.
They had last seen her early in February.
Eva told the publication she had heard from another woman, whose niece had been chatting with her, that she was in Robertson. Nadine, however, never responded to their messages.
News24 previously reported locals had discovered the body, with Drakenstein Farm Watch chairperson Daan van Leeuwen-Boomkamp saying it was believed to be the body of a local girl who had gone missing.
Reported
The police at the time said this, however, had not been reported to them.
Patrick told the Son when he arrived at the scene after the discovery was made, it appeared to him that "she had been sawed like a sheep at a slaughterhouse" with her head and arms "at the back of her body".
They had raised the girl they described as "sweet" and "lovely" as their own since the death of her mother a few years ago, although she had lived on the same farm with her grandfather since she was 15.
Police spokesperson Noloyiso Rwexana told News24 an inquest docket had been opened and a post-mortem would be conducted to determine the cause of death.
Simondium Primary School, on its Facebook, page posted a photo of a smiling Nadine, writing that it was in mourning.
"You died a brutal death, but justice will prevail. May you rest in peace, dear child."