Cape Town - The daughters of a retired teacher said they don’t suspect foul play after his body was recovered in Newlands Forest by a search and rescue team.
Dhananjaya Naidoo was last seen on Saturday around 4pm.
A frantic search by the police, Wilderness Search and Rescue Western Cape (WSAR), friends, and family took place over the weekend.
On Wednesday, his body was found.
Police spokesperson, Wesley Twigg, said: “Claremont police opened an inquest docket for further investigation. According to reports he left his home on Saturday to go for a walk in the Newlands Forest area and has not been seen since. His vehicle was found in Newlands Forest. At the time of his disappearance he was wearing blue jeans, blue checked shirt and a grey cap. The missing person was found on 20 November 2024 on the contour path in Newlands Forest. A post-mortem will be conducted to determine the cause of death.”
WSAR spokesperson, Johann Marais, said: “They were busy planning and anticipating where they should continue to look. They followed-up on a lead and they then found the body.”
In a statement, Naidoo’s daughters shared the details of their father's medical report.
“The medical report indicates he passed away from a heart attack that took place over a short three-minute period.
“He was found in a good condition with a slight smile on his face. It is likely that he knelt down to rest and slowly touched the ground around 5pm on Saturday. There was no bodily harm. We are at peace knowing that he left this world doing what he loved - walking the mountain.
“The place he was found was a beautiful lookout point by a tree, just 10 metres off the main contour path in Newlands Forest.”
They expressed their gratitude for the assistance they got while searching for their 66-year-old father.
“We express immense respect and gratitude to all the people that volunteered to bring our dad home.
“In no particular order, we would like to thank our family, friends, our father’s colleagues from the teaching/education fraternity, members of WSAR, SAPS and all members of the public that volunteered.
“For family, friends and colleagues, we will provide information regarding the funeral that will take place on Saturday, November 24.”
Naidoo was previously a teacher at Rylands High School.
mandilakhe.tshwete@inl.co.za
Cape Argus