A Windhoek family is mourning after a mother identified the remains of her 27-year-old daughter at the Windhoek State Mortuary. Jennifer Isaacks' decomposed body was discovered in bushes behind the University of Namibia's main campus on 31 January.

Christina Isaacks (51) sat quietly outside her Goreangab home, gazing into a small fire as she recounted weeks of uncertainty that culminated in the confirmation of her worst fears. She last spoke to Jennifer on 3 January, when her daughter said she was visiting her boyfriend in town.

"That was the last time I heard her voice. She said she was going to town, and then she never came back. I have been restless; there was something in me that just was not well," Isaacks said.

According to Christina, the boyfriend later told her that Jennifer never arrived at his place. 

As days turned to weeks, she says she became increasingly restless and worried. 

She searched for answers, hoping her daughter, who she described as having many friends and being well-known in the neighbourhood, would walk back through the door.

Her nightmare deepened, and hope was dashed when the police announced that the decomposed body of a woman had been discovered in the bush behind the University of Namibia's main campus.

Isaacks went to the police, where they took DNA samples to help determine whether the remains were her daughter's. 

"Every time I went there, they told me the machines were not working; I waited and waited."

On Thursday, she faced the unimaginable: identifying Jennifer's remains, which she described as barely recognisable. "The police at the mortuary were very helpful; they comforted me. I could barely recognise her; she doesn't have a leg; the flesh on her face is gone," Isaacks said.

Now, beyond the grief, Isaacks faces another burden, a reality that she must deal with. 

She says the remains are too decomposed to be transported to Gibeon for burial. 

The grieving mother also does not have the financial means to buy a casket.

Sitting in the smoke of the fire, she says she feels hopeless, unsure of where to turn next. She is seeking assistance from Good Samaritans to buy a casket for her daughter. 

The police have not yet established the cause of death, and investigations continue.