Latest Updates in This Story show

Hammarsdale, KwaZulu-Natal — A close-knit Hammarsdale community is in shock after the confirmed death of 32-year-old Samkelisiwe Ntinga, a mother and audit professional whose remains were found near the site where her car had been abandoned in Krugersdorp.

Family and colleagues say the discovery has exposed a trail of lies and delay that now points to Samkelisiwe’s boyfriend, Gift Mncedisi Siyo, who fled the scene and remains at large. The body was taken to a mortuary, and family members viewed the remains on 8 August. DNA tests are still pending to complete official identification.

Also Read | Missing Shoprite Employee Found Dead in Durban Flat

Timeline of events

30 July (Wednesday): Samke was last seen leaving work with her boyfriend.
31 July (Thursday): The boyfriend told others she went to work. That claim proved false.
4 August (Monday): A missing person report was opened after pressure from colleagues.
6 August (Wednesday): Private security questioned the boyfriend; he then left with her car.
7 August (Thursday): The white Suzuki Swift was found abandoned in Krugersdorp. Later that day, a burnt body was discovered nearby.
8 August (Friday): Family members identified the body at the mortuary while DNA confirmation remains pending.

Also Read | Simingaye Oscar Hlatshwayo Murderers Handed Life

Samkelisiwe Ntinga, the Hammarsdale woman found burnt to death in Krugersdorp. — Samkelisiwe Ntinga was a 32-year-old mother from Hammarsdale whose body was discovered burnt near Krugersdorp.

Samkelisiwe’s disappearance

Samkelisiwe, who grew up in Hammarsdale and worked in auditing, was living in Leopard Rest Security Estate in Alberton. She was last seen on the morning of 30 July when she left work with Gift Siyo. Colleagues later received conflicting accounts from Siyo. He first said she was travelling to another depot for a routine assignment. Colleagues checked and confirmed she was not scheduled for that site.

Siyo then claimed he had dropped her at Park Station in Johannesburg. No evidence has been found to support that version.

When Samkelisiwe did not answer calls and did not return home, colleagues and family pushed for a formal missing person report. That report was filed on 4 August. The delay in reporting has heightened suspicion and left the family frustrated.

Break in the case

Samkelisiwe’s workplace arranged for private security to question Siyo after inconsistencies in his statements. Sources say that during that meeting, Siyo appeared nervous and evasive. He later asked to use Samkelisiwe’s white Suzuki Swift, saying he needed to fetch belongings in Roodepoort. Instead, the car was left abandoned in Krugersdorp, and Siyo disappeared.

Residents and community groups quickly circulated photos and descriptions of Siyo. He is described as tall, slim, Xhosa-speaking, and with ties to Simunye in Westonaria and parts of the Eastern Cape.

A grim discovery

On 7 August, police and passersby found a body in a drain close to where the Suzuki Swift had been abandoned. The remains were burnt beyond recognition. Two people known to the family viewed the body and believed it to be Samke. The body was taken to a mortuary, and on 8 August, family members went to the mortuary and confirmed the identity pending DNA results.

Authorities are treating the matter as a suspected murder. Police have not yet publicly named a suspect, but Siyo is the chief person of interest and remains sought by law enforcement.

Gift Mncedisi Siyo, boyfriend of Samkelisiwe Ntinga, wanted by police in connection with her death. — Gift Mncedisi Siyo is on the run after his girlfriend, Samkelisiwe Ntinga, was found dead. Police are urging the public to help locate him.

Family, colleagues, and the community respond

Colleagues remember Samkelisiwe as kind and hardworking. Messages shared with KZN Daily News described her as committed to her job and devoted to her young daughter. Her death has prompted an outpouring of grief online and within Hammarsdale.

The family has asked for privacy while they wait for the lab results and make funeral arrangements. At the same time, they have urged anyone with information to come forward to help bring the person responsible to justice.

This case has once again drawn attention to the pattern of disappearances and violence against women in South Africa. Activists and community leaders say delays in reporting, gaps in police resourcing, and the everyday vulnerability of women contribute to a crisis of safety. They call for faster response times and better coordination between employers, families, and police when a person goes missing.

The abandoned white Suzuki Swift belonging to Samkelisiwe Ntinga, found in Krugersdorp. — Samkelisiwe Ntinga’s white Suzuki Swift was found abandoned in Krugersdorp shortly before her body was discovered nearby.

Investigators ask anyone with information on the whereabouts of Gift Mncedisi Siyo or details of his movements since 6 August to contact Crime Stop on 08600 10111 or to report tips through the MySAPS app. Family tip lines are also being used by those involved in the search.

DNA results are expected to provide definitive identification. Until then, investigators continue to examine cellphone records, CCTV in the area, and the abandoned vehicle for forensic evidence. Community groups are helping to circulate photographs and push for a public appeal to locate Siyo.

For now, Hammarsdale and many beyond it are left with a family’s grief and urgent questions about how a young mother came to meet such a violent end. The community is asking for swift action and for anyone with information to speak up.