lit a candle 1d agoMy mom called me about this, she said the whole street in Manenberg is in shock. Woman went every morning to look after her mother and still raised three boys. That's heavier than most jobs I know.
Their story
Waseema Marcus was a 36 year old mother of three from Manenberg, a community in Cape Town, South Africa, who was known in her neighbourhood for the quiet daily care she gave to members of her family. She was not a public figure, celebrity or office holder, and there is…
Waseema Marcus was a 36 year old mother of three from Manenberg, a community in Cape Town, South Africa, who was known in her neighbourhood for the quiet daily care she gave to members of her family. She was not a public figure, celebrity or office holder, and there is no biographical record of her beyond the circumstances of her death and the tributes that followed it. What is documented is a life organised around looking after others:
The source explained that Marcus visited her mother every morning to prepare food and assist her with daily activities.
She added that Marcus had also been caring for her father-in-law and mother, who both live with disabilities and were dependent on her.
Marcus leaves behind three young boys aged 5, 12 and 14.
Neighbours and community members who spoke to reporters described her in simple, affectionate terms as a devoted and reliable presence, someone whose absence was noticed immediately because her routine of care was so consistent.
She mattered to the people who knew her for exactly that reason: she was the kind of person whose daily, unpaid labour of looking after disabled and elderly relatives and raising children largely goes unseen until it stops. Her death has drawn attention in Manenberg and in the local press precisely because the circumstances are unexplained and because the loss falls heavily on people who relied on her.
Marcus was found at her residence in Thames Avenue, Manenberg, on 26 October 2026, at approximately 2pm, after concerns were raised when she failed to visit her mother as part of her daily routine.
Police have not confirmed whether Marcus' death is linked to gender-based violence or criminal activity.
No cause of death has been made public, and as of this writing no arrests have been announced.
The news of her death prompted an immediate reaction in her community.
Community activist Yumnah Alexander described Marcus as a sweet and kind woman whose death was a devastating loss to her family and community, saying, "Waseema was truly sweet, kind and she leaves three young boys behind."
No funeral or memorial arrangements have been publicly announced at the time of writing.
Biography adapted from News reports and the sources cited on this page; death reported by Cape Argus.
So sad. Her boys are so young too.