For many who work and spend their days at Mitchells Plain Town Centre, it still does not feel real that they will never again see Shakierah Augustine walking through the busy walkways with her smile, greeting people who had over the years become like family to her. Known affectionately as “Kierah”, the 32-year-old’s lifeless half-naked body was found behind Boxer supermarket on Saturday morning, wrapped in a brown blanket and dressed in a black dress.
According to sources, electrical wires were also found around her body. But for those who knew her, Kierah was far more than the tragic circumstances surrounding her death. To the fish langanas, the foreign national shop owners, trolley pushers and customers at Town Centre, she was a loving soul whose kindness left a mark on almost everyone she met.
Remembering Shakierah Augustine
When Weekend Argus visited the Town Centre following the heartbreaking discovery, person after person stopped to speak about the type of woman Kierah was. One of those people was fish langana Glynis Lennitch, who said the loss of Kierah could already be felt throughout the entire Town Centre.
“She was a very loving child, always helpful, always decent and never said no to helping,” Lennitch said emotionally. “If I spoke to her she would listen, if anyone made her angry she would do nothing. She helped around everywhere.” Lennitch described Kierah as someone with a humble spirit who carried herself with kindness despite the struggles she faced.
Kierah’s Life and Legacy
According to Lennitch, Kierah had been living around the Town Centre for about five years and never caused problems with anyone. “Kierah, you could see, came from a very good home and a loving family, just from the person she was. She just got involved with the wrong things and wrong people, but it didn’t change who she was. That’s one thing I can say.”
She added that Kierah often spoke lovingly about her child. “She loved her child dearly. She wanted to change for him. There were times she would go home and her family, she said, would tell her to come back. But I also learnt to understand their habits and how it has a hold on them.” For Lennitch, the pain of losing Kierah reopened wounds left by the death of Bernina “Tomboy” Harmse three years ago, as explained on the substance abuse Wikipedia page.
The traumatic moment Kierah’s body was discovered on Saturday morning remains fresh in her mind. “I gave the key to another one of my helpers on Saturday morning to fetch the tables,” Lennitch explained. “She came back screaming with her hands on her head.”
As the community comes to terms with Kierah’s passing, they are also seeking answers about what happened to her. The South African Police Service is investigating the circumstances surrounding her death.
- Kierah was a 32-year-old woman who lived in Mitchells Plain
- She was found dead behind Boxer supermarket on Saturday morning
- The community is seeking answers about what happened to her
