Murders stir panic in Smartiesville
She was gagged, with a cloth stuffed into her mouth
Smartiesville residents are scared and angry after the brutal murder of 84-year-old Mrs Hansie Surajpal.
Mrs Surajpal, who lived on her own in a house in Maple Crescent, Smartiesville, was strangled to death in her home on Tuesday night last week. She was found by neighbours on her bedroom floor, apparently strangled with her own sarie. The sarie she was wearing had been used to tie her hands together and was also wrapped around her neck very tightly. She was gagged, with a cloth stuffed into her mouth.
This is the second horrific murder that has taken place in the same street within the last few years. Mrs Karrim was raped and murdered in her home in Maple Crescent in November 2011. Residents say these women were lovable, friendly and respected in the community. “They were the kind of people who couldn’t hurt a fly and yet they died so tragically. This cannot be allowed to happen in society. The murderers must be brought to book and this doesn’t seem to be happening! Why?” fumed one resident. People are now feeling unsafe in their own homes, thinking that killers are lurking around every corner and looking for a victim.
“We need to teach these thugs a lesson! We are fed up with all these murders taking place in our street and it doesn’t seem like anything is being done about it,” added another concerned resident.
Consensus in the community is that the police need to be more visible, and somehow do something to arrest the culprits and put them behind bars. Residents feel that criminals are watching the area and zoning in on old women living alone because they are “soft targets”.
As far as the investigation into Mrs Surajpal’s murder is concerned, police have confirmed that all the necessary forensic tests have been conducted and that samples will be forwarded for analysis. No arrests have yet been made, and investigations by Ladysmith detectives will continue.
