Beloved Karoo landmark disappears: The mystery of Beverley the mannequin

The small Karoo town of Nieu-Bethesda is mourning the disappearance of a beloved local landmark Beverley – a mannequin that stood in a dam just outside town and became an unexpected icon for residents and visitors alike. 

"It's an absolute tragedy, I must say. She brought joy to so many people and travellers," said artist and sculptor Ryno Greef, who first placed Beverley in the water two years ago.

Greef explained that Beverley began as a playful installation after a Facebook joke about "skinny dipping" in the dam inspired him to give the spot some character. 

"On a trip to Port Elizabeth, I found a mannequin in a second-hand shop over there. I thought, okay, this is Beverley - she's going to be the one. I brought her back to my studio, dressed her, made a stand so that she doesn't fall over in the dam and drown, and put her there about two years ago. Since then, she's become a real presence in the area."

He added that over time, she became a familiar figure, appearing in countless photos on social media. 

But last weekend, Beverley mysteriously vanished. 

Greef suspects more than one person was involved, given the heavy concrete base she stood on.

"We don't know if it was malicious; we don't know if it was somebody making a joke. We've got no idea, we've got no ransom note, we don't know anything. It’s an absolute mystery... we all miss Beverley, that's for sure.

"I'm hoping for her to be discovered somewhere else. Maybe it would had to have been a group of people because there's no way one person could pick her up and carry her. She was on a very heavy stand. The mannequin itself weighs nothing, but the stand I made was a heavy concrete thing.

"There is such a story to that dam now that we probably will end up putting another mannequin in there, but there is only one Beverley."

To listen to Ryno Greef in conversation with CapeTalk's John Maytham, click the audio below: