Residents of Delarey, Roodepoort, claim that a woman – whose body was found at the Ridgeview tennis courts on Sunday – was raped before she was set alight.

Police could, however, not confirm this claim.

According to resident Madelein van Niekerk, they suspect the body had been burned using tires. She says the neighbourhood children use tyres as goalposts when playing soccer on the courts, which leads them to suspect this is what was used.

Several residents mentioned they heard screams at around 02:00, but were too afraid to go out to the park, aside from the fact that it happened during load-shedding and it wasn’t possible to see anything in the park, they feared for their own lives.

Van Niekerk mentions there is a tavern close to the park and they suspected the screams may have originated from there and after the screams, it was dead quiet.

Van Niekerk says another resident saw flames coming from the park not long after the screams were heard.

EC Security’s Jacques Morton states they responded to a community call about a fire by the swings just after 22:00. A reaction officer and resident of the area extinguished the fire and chased away a person suspected to have started the fire. The next morning when the body was found they were informed by the community and the SAPS was contacted.

Challen Marks, also a resident, states the community contacted the Department of Sport and Recreation to hand the park and tennis courts over to the community to be repaired, however, nothing has come of it as of yet. Finances are, however, also an issue, as explained by another resident, Kyle Dunbar.

Van Niekerk mentions the community has reported many instances of vandalism, theft, and other illegal activity that takes place in the park, yet no one has done anything about the issue.

Ward 86 councillor Chantelle Fourie-Shawe says the Department of Sport and Recreation has permitted the community to trim the trees in the area, however, no trees are allowed to be removed as only Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo can authorise this.

Colonel Lefa Tsotetsi, the Florida Police Station commander, confirms: “A case of murder was opened at Florida station. The investigation is continuing.”