22/07/2025
“WE JUST WANT HER BODY”: FAMILY BELIEVES MISSING IPELEGENG WOMAN IS NO LONGER ALIVE
IPELEGENG - Nearly two months since the disappearance of 52-year-old Kedisaletse Audrey Ditire from Extension 5 in Ipelegeng, her family says they have lost hope of finding her alive. They are now pleading for closure, and for the police to do more.
Their story is filled with unanswered questions, contradictions, and growing frustration with what they describe as a mishandled police investigation.
One family member recounts that on 7 June 2025, she accompanied Simon, Kedisaletse’s boyfriend, to the Amalia Police Station in Schweizer-Reneke to open a missing person’s case. Together with police officers, they proceeded to Kgwejana farm in Avonster, where Kedisaletse had been staying. They also visited the home of the father of Kedisaletse’s children but could not find her there. The group searched the area, even asking people in the streets for any information about her whereabouts.
"Simon informed police that Kedisaletse went missing on 29 May 2025, claiming he had sent her to a nearby tavern to buy alcohol but didn’t wait for her to return before going to work," said a family member.
However, another family member raised suspicions about Simon's version of events. “Kedisaletse is someone who always communicates with us. This is not like her,” they said. “On 5 June 2025, I was in town when Simon called. I met with him at a park in town with Boykie, a friend of ours who also worked at the farm. They told me she went missing on 30 May, not the 29th. I began questioning why he told police one date, told us another, and why he waited nearly a week before reporting her missing. What was he doing during that time?”
The family member went home and officially informed other relatives that Kedisaletse was missing, according to Simon.
On 13 June, the family returned to Avonster with the police and Community Policing Forum (CPF) members to conduct another search. They visited Simon again, who at first gave little information but suggested they search the warthogs caves. Before heading there, the family decided to inspect a nearby small mining site with muddy terrain, believing she could have been disposed of there.
After an unsuccessful search, the family member confronted Simon directly, saying, "If you want us to go to the caves, it means you know she’s dead. Give us our sister’s body.” According to the family, this confrontation led Simon to break down and confess to giving police false information. The police reportedly did not act on this confession.
Further suspicions arose when the family asked about surveillance footage on the farm. The investigating officer obtained the footage from the farm owner. The family said it showed Simon and Kedisaletse together on 31 May 2025 at 17h05, contradicting the earlier dates he gave. Their image only lasted for five seconds, and then the camera shifted focus towards the cattle kraal.
Of particular concern is an abandoned 7-metre-high tower on the farm, previously used to dispose of animal bones. The family said they were informed that the area had been burned recently. According to the family, fires are strictly prohibited by the farm owner. “We would have liked to see footage of the person who started that fire,” one family member said.
The family revealed to this publication that the police told them that they have since collected ashes and bone fragments from the tower for forensic analysis. No confirmation was given to Morongwa regarding that. However, the family has voiced dissatisfaction with how the Amalia police are conducting the investigation. “If they are unable to continue, they should hand over the case to a capable team,” the family said, adding that drones have been promised for an aerial search of the area.
They are also deeply concerned that Simon, a foreign national without legal documentation, could flee the country once released. They also believe Boykie may have critical information.
The family is now preparing for the worst.
“As the Ditire family, we strongly believe Kedisaletse is no longer alive,” one member said. “It’s been nearly two months. She’s not calling, she left her two phones and her snuif behind, and that’s not like her.”
Another family member added, “What we want now is just her remains, so we can bury her with dignity. We know she’s gone, and Simon knows exactly where her body is.”
MORONGWA has confirmed that Kedisaletse, who lives in Extension 5, Ipelegeng, is the mother of four children — two boys aged 35 and 28, and two girls aged 10 and 16.
Colonel Adéle Myburgh, spokesperson for the North West police, confirmed to MORONGWA that a missing person’s case was opened on 7 June 2025. When questioned about the delay, Simon reportedly told police that Kedisaletse had previously gone missing in 2023 and returned, which he claimed is why he didn’t report it immediately this time. The family has refuted the claims of Kedisaletse's past disappearance.
Colonel Myburgh also confirmed that Simon was arrested, but clarified the reason: “His arrest came after her disappearance, and it was based on the fact that he is unlawfully in the country without the necessary permit. His detention is not directly related to her disappearance.”
Simon, a Namibian national, is scheduled to appear in the Schweizer-Reneke Magistrate’s Court on 29 July 2025, facing charges related to his unlawful presence in South Africa, as he is an undocumented foreign national.
Anyone with information regarding the disappearance of Kedisaletse is requested to contact investigating officer Freddy Ngwenya on 0823737194
