Body of Missing UNICEF Director Discovered on Table Mountain, South Africa

The body of Charlotte Nikoi, associate director of UNICEF, who was reported missing during a family holiday in South Africa over two months ago, has been found on Table Mountain.

UNICEF issued a statement from its New York headquarters on Sunday, saying: “We learned with great sadness that the remains of our colleague Charlotte (Nana Yaa) Nikoi have been found.

“All of us at UNICEF are deeply saddened by this news and express our personal sympathies to her family.

“Nana Yaa was a committed colleague who devoted the past 18 years of her life to the work and values of the United Nations.

“Her warmth and steadfast support will be missed by all those who knew her.

“Nana Yaa was reported missing on 21 March while on a family vacation in South Africa. We thank the South African authorities for their efforts and we are grateful to all those who assisted. We ask that her family’s privacy be respected in these very difficult times.”

Last month President Jacob Zuma called for South Africans to help in the search for the missing American. Today there has not yet been any statement from the Presidency. However the Democratic Alliance (DA) did issue a press statement, extending its “heartfelt condolences” to her family and loved ones.

Nikoi had been hiking on South Africa’s iconic Table Mountain with her husband and daughter when she went missing.

The DA called on the relevant authorities to do everything possible to determine the cause of this tragedy.

“Table Mountain is one of our country’s most prestigious national parks and is visited by thousands of residents and tourists annually.

“However, when a tragedy like this occurs, there is great concern about the security of this national asset.

“Residents and tourists must be able to visit the mountain without fearing for their safety.

“It is therefore important that the police and other authorities, for the sake of her family as well as the larger public, launch an urgent investigation into what has caused Ms Nikoi’s death.

“We know that this must be a very trying time for Ms Nikoi’s family and we will do what we can to ensure an urgent and thorough investigation into this tragedy.”