Missing person found dead in Ncandu River
The body of Egyptian carpet trader, Zineladhin Saleh, was discovered wrapped in the Ncandu River 13 days after he was reported missing.
Estella Naicker
Desperate prayers gave way to anguished cries when police divers released the blanket that was concealing the identity of a murder victim who had been thrown into the Ncandu River.
Friends and family of Zineladhin Saleh could finally abandon the 13-day search for the Egyptian carpet trader, after his body was found wrapped in a blanket and floating in the river on the boundary of the Newcastle Golf Course.
Mr Saleh was last seen by a customer in the Sunny Ridge area, before he was reported missing on September 26.
His body was discovered by André and Elsa Grundlingh during what was supposed to have been a relaxing rowing trip down the tranquil Ncandu River.
“My wife and I love rowing and this is the first time we’ve been out since winter started. We enjoy the quiet and we get to see Newcastle from a different angle. When my wife saw what looked like a body floating in the river, she was very upset,” said Mr Grundlingh, who contacted a friend at the dog unit after observing the feet that confirmed the bundle floating in the river was a person.
Warrant Officer, Daniel Tennery, assisted traffic officer, Tyronne Davis, to retrieve the body from the river. ER24 paramedics, Jan Henk and Myra van Vuuren, pronounced Mr Saleh dead and offered medical assistance and comfort to his wife and mother-in-law at the scene.
It is believed that Mr Saleh had suffered head injuries and was found with a strap around his neck leading police to speculate that he may have been strangled. However, a post mortem will be conducted to determine the exact cause of death.
A case of murder was opened. Mr Saleh’s wife of five years, Razia, said that she felt blessed to have had Zineladhin in her life, as he had shown her the true meaning of a peaceful and happy marriage.
