Woman from UK killed on honeymoon in South Africa
• Newlyweds were carjacked by gunmen
• Body found in stolen car, believed shot
• Body found in stolen car, believed shot
Police in South Africa began a murder hunt tonight after a honeymoon couple from the UK were attacked in a carjacking incident. The couple had apparently been returning from dinner at 11pm yesterday when two armed men stopped their shuttle-service car, forced the driver out and abducted them.
An hour later, the 31-year-old husband, a British national, was left unharmed in a township, but the men sped off with his 28-year-old wife – a foreign national living in the UK. Her body was later found on the back seat of the hijacked Volkswagen Sharan in another part of the township. There were unconfirmed reports that she had been shot.The couple, who were married two weeks ago, were believed to have arrived in South Africa on Thursday. They have not been named.
Cape Town is South Africa's leading tourist destination, with its attractions including Table Mountain, Robben Island, beaches and nearby winelands.
Police said the carjackers stopped the vehicle in the Gugulethu township and the man had been left in the Harare area of another township, the vast Khayelitsha.
"After seeking the assistance of a passing motorist, [the husband] was taken to Harare police station unharmed," a spokesman said. "An extensive search for the vehicle and the female victim resulted in the discovery of the hijacked vehicle in Lingelethu West, with the female victim's body on the back seat. An autopsy will later reveal the exact cause of her death."
Officials expressed horror at the killing. Tammy Evans, a spokeswoman for the Western Cape provincial government, said: "The tourism safety and support team have been at the scene since 7.20 [yesterday] morning. We arranged counselling and accommodation for the husband. We are obviously devastated by the tragedy. We have had no incidents from the World Cup up until now."
Alan Winde, the Western Cape tourism minister, said he believed the couple had been on a tour of the vineyards and had decided to drive through Gugulethu to "look at some of the nightlife". He understood the husband has family members in South Africa, who were coming to join him. "It's a huge shock," he added.
Gary Benham, a spokesman for the British high commission in Pretoria, said: "We are aware of the situation, and our staff in Cape Town are offering consular assistance. At this moment, all we know is what the police have told us. We will not be revealing names and addresses."
South Africa has one of the highest crime rates in the world, with an average of 46 murders a day. The majority take place in townships, and tourists are rarely the victims.
A huge increase in security for this summer's World Cup helped ensure there were few serious incidents.
Last year, there were 13,902 carjackings in South Africa, down from 14,915 in 2008-09. The annual murder rate fell by 8.6% to dip below 17,000 for the first time since nationwide records began in 1995-96.
• This article was amended on 17 November 2010. Due to an editing error, the original referred to Khayelitsha as a Harare township. This has been corrected.http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/nov/14/woman-killed-honeymoon-south-africa
