Durban - During the Inanda Riots in 1985, Anand Reuben Murray was allegedly stabbed to death by a group of men armed with spears and assegais.
Murray, 39, who owned a business manufacturing furniture, was then allegedly set alight. Except for his face, he had burn wounds all over his body.
Police tracked down his wife Rajanee Devi Reuben Murray thanks to a utility receipt that they found in his pocket.
She then took on the responsibility of raising their three children who, at the time, were 11, 9 and five years old.
Last Friday, Murray became another crime statistic when she was strangled to death during what seemed like a robbery at her home in Foresthaven, Phoenix.
Murray, 67, was a retired sales representative, and shared the home with her youngest son Vicky, an operations manager at a logistics company.
Her daughter, Yaditha Reuben Murray Shamlall, said Vicky left home for work that morning. When he returned at 6pm he noticed the lights were off.
"Vicky opened the driveway gate and walked up to the home. The door to the Wendy House was open as well as the kitchen door and gate.
"When he got into the house, he called out for our mum but there was no response. He turned on the lights and while walking into the passage he saw our mother on the floor in one of the bedrooms. Her body was against some items and a blanket covered her head and part of her body.
"He removed the blanket and found her face was covered with a black material that also went around her neck. Vicky checked her pulse and she was not responsive. He then called me, our brother, neighbours and the police."
According to Shamlall, a television, cell phone, radio and DVD player were among the items stolen.
"It is a painful time for us because it brings back memories of my father's killing. His death, like my mothers, was brutal. It was something that my siblings and I never really got over."
Shamlall said during the riots, her uncle, Rooplall Urlassi, and cousin, Sanjay Rooplall, had to flee their home in Inanda and moved in with her family in Foresthaven.
"Due to a mechanical fault, my uncle left his car at another relative's home in Unit 10 in Phoenix. I remember my relatives being afraid for their safety. A few days had passed and my uncle, cousin and dad decided to try and repair the car. Another relative dropped them off in Unit 10.
"At some point in the day, they decided to board a taxi to buy spare parts from a shop in Phoenix. From what I remember a mob of people with spears and assegais attacked all three of them. They were stabbed several times on their bodies and set alight. They all died.
"I remember my siblings and I waiting up for my father to return home. The next morning when we were in school the police found the receipt of a utility bill and they came to our home. They took my mother to the mortuary to identify our father's body."
Shamlall said her mother became their pillar of strength.
“I knew she was hurting because she loved my father immensely. But she stayed strong and courageous for me and my brothers. She was only 29 and overnight she became a single mother.
"I remember her doing everything she could to generate an income. She worked in sales and sold pots, Tupperware and other items to make money to provide for us.
"My mother had a pure heart. She gave so much love to everyone around her. She had five grandchildren and they were her joy. She enjoyed spending time with them.
"My mother volunteered at the Rama Krishna Centre of South Africa and the Rama Krishna Dhan in Lenasia. She helped with fund-raising drives."
She said the family hoped the person responsible for her killing would be found.
"We have been through two tragedies. My mother was a fragile and defenceless woman. We do not want another family to go through this. We are re-living the pain from 37 years ago. We never got over the death of our father."
Murray was cremated at the Clare Estate Crematorium on Monday.
Constable Thenjiswa Ngcobo, a provincial police spokesperson, said a case of murder is being investigated and no arrests had been made.
The Post