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Port Elizabeth — Police have shifted their focus to track down the suspects responsible for the death of a beloved Uitenhage teacher after her body was found in a remote part of KwaNobuhle township yesterday morning. They have also released an image of one of the suspects, taken from security camera footage at an ATM.
Jayde Panayiotou, 28, was abducted from outside her home at around 06:30 on Tuesday morning while waiting for her lift to Riebeeck High School in Uitenhage, where she taught.
Eastern Cape police spokesperson Captain Sandra Janse van Rensburg confirmed that Panayiotou’s body had been found by police.
“This morning at about 10:00 the crew of the Saps air wing participating in the search for her noticed an object in an isolated area near KwaNobuhle Township in Uitenhage,” she said.
Janse van Rensburg said members on the ground had investigated and had recovered her body.
A large contingent of police, as well as media and family, descended on the scene.
Sources present at the scene said it was believed that Panayiotou had been shot after nearby residents had reported hearing three gunshots in the area shortly after her initial abduction.
Janse van Rensburg would not speculate on the cause of death, saying a post-mortem would be conducted.
Panayiotou had been waiting for her lift outside her home at Stellen Glen residential complex in Deacon Road, Kabega on Tuesday morning, but when her lift arrived, she was nowhere to be found.
Her friend contacted her husband and an intensive search was immediately launched. It was later established that her bank card had been used to withdraw money from her account at an ATM in Kwanobuhle. An overwhelming response on social media followed the initial announcement of her disappearance, with many people sharing the story.
Following the confirmation that her body had been recovered, many who had been praying for Panayiotou’s safe return took to social media to express their grief and anger at her murder.
Janse van Rensburg said a dedicated Operations Centre relating to her disappearance would continue to operate as police shifted their focus to bringing the suspects responsible to justice.
Janse van Rensburg said police were asking for anyone who could assist with identifying a man whose image was captured on the ATM camera at the time of the cash withdrawal. “We’re asking if anyone knows this man as we believe he can assist us in our investigation,” she said. – Sapa
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