- The body of a missing 10-year-old girl was found in a canal in the Western Cape on Sunday.
- The little girl was reported missing on Saturday.
- Police say an inquest docket has been opened.
Three people have been taken in for questioning in connection with the death of a 10-year-old girl, whose body was found in a canal in Macassar near Somerset West in the Western Cape on Sunday.
Police spokesperson Sergeant Wesley Twigg said the three people had not yet been linked to the crime.
"The investigation into the matter is still ongoing and more people can be taken in for questioning as the investigation unfolds," said Twigg.
The body, which was suspected to be that of Denecke Persence, was discovered in a canal in Marvin Park by a search team who was scanning the area next to the N2 highway, said police spokesperson Captain FC van Wyk.
Persence was reported missing on Saturday. According to a missing child alert, she was last seen opposite the taxi rank in Zandvliet Way on Saturday at around 14:00.
While there has been speculation of foul play, the cause of death has yet to be determined, according to Van Wyk.
"An inquest case was registered for investigation. A post-mortem will be conducted to determine the cause of death," he said. "Anyone with any information about this incident is kindly requested to contact Crime Stop on 08600 10111."
Macassar Community Policing Forum (CPF) spokesperson Russell Williams said residents were shaken by the incident.
"We're shocked. We didn't expect something like this to happen," he added.
Williams said there were several unanswered questions.
He added:
Williams said he hoped parents would increase the supervision of their children.
"Kids often play unsupervised far away from home or are sent to the shops in the dark. Anything can happen. You think you know your area, but look what happened now," he said.
Ward councillor Peter Helfrich said he was "deeply saddened" by the girl's death.
"No parent should have to go through something like this," he said. "If this is another murder in our community, we must make sure that this perpetrator is brought to book as soon as humanly possible."
Residents and religious organisations would meet on Monday evening for a prayer service at the spot where the girl's body was found, Williams said.