- Cameron Waldeck-Cooks, 17, received 22,000 WhatsApp messages from her boyfriend in a single month
- Ethan Coetzee allegedly forced Cameron to log onto Microsoft Teams while studying so he could watch her remotely
- The two teenagers were found dead at a Mpumalanga lodge in August 2026, sparking a murder investigation
Source: Facebook
A TikTok video shared on 25 October 2026 by @mzansiunfiltered100 has reignited public anguish over the deaths of Cameron Waldeck-Cooks and Ethan Coetzee, two teenagers whose relationship ended in tragedy at a holiday lodge near Sabie, Mpumalanga, on 3 August 2026.
Cameron, 17, was a Grade 11 learner at St Stithians Girls' College. Ethan, 19, had matriculated from the affiliated boys' college in 2025. During their nine-month relationship, those close to Cameron described Ethan's behaviour as deeply possessive.
According to a media report by News24, digital forensics recovered from their devices painted a stark picture: in February 2026 alone, Ethan sent Cameron approximately 22,000 WhatsApp messages — close to 786 every single day. He also reportedly required her to remain logged into Microsoft Teams while studying so he could monitor her remotely, demanded access to her social media passwords, checked her phone regularly, and grew hostile when she interacted with male members of her rowing team. He is said to have left Stellenbosch University to avoid being physically separated from her.
Cameron ended the relationship in early July 2026. Ethan continued messaging her.
In early August, Cameron travelled to a lodge near Sabie as part of a hiking trip intended to fulfil requirements for the Gold level of the President's Award for Youth Empowerment. Ethan was also at the venue. On 3 August, both were discovered dead in the same room.
Independent forensic findings, as well as those from state post-mortems, concluded that Cameron was murdered.
The case has been compounded by serious concerns about the handling of the investigation. According to the Waldeck-Cooks family's attorney, Daniel Witz, SAPS returned the teenagers' mobile phones to their respective families on the very day the bodies were found, without first preserving or extracting the data.
The family only uncovered the full extent of the WhatsApp messages and other digital evidence after commissioning their own forensic examination of the returned device. The family is now demanding a full, transparent inquest and accountability for what they describe as systemic investigative failures.
Ethan's family has disputed the characterisation of the relationship, stating the two appeared happy the evening before the tragedy.
Watch the TikTok video that reignited the public conversation around Cameron's here.
SA reacts to the findings
South Africans responding to the video on the TikTok page were visibly shaken.
User @Tiani wrote,
"Hard to argue that that's love."
@Natalie 🧸🎀 broke the numbers down further:
"In a 24-hour day that means she would literally be getting a message from him every 1 minute and 50 seconds… for the WHOLE day."
@LeleFrans summed up what many were feeling:
"She was in literal hell 😞"
@🖤Anks🖤 directed the conversation toward prevention:
"This should be an eye-opener for all parents!! Make sure your child knows that no matter the situation, they can always come to you for help!!"
- Briefly News recently reported that Cameron Waldeck-Cooks’ St Stithians water polo teammates found a touching way to honour her on the day of her memorial service.
- Cameron’s family has questioned how SAPS handled cellphone evidence after her death, raising concerns about the investigation.
- Content creator Bella Monsoon questioned the handling of Cameron’s murder probe, while South Africans debated whether coercive control is being taken seriously.
Source: Briefly News