'There was blood on the ceiling'

2008-03-17 07:14

Virginia Keppler

Zeerust - "The bastards raped her, burnt her all over her body with a hot clothes iron, stabbed her in the head, face, neck, back and everywhere, and broke her fingers," says an anguished brother.

These were the words of Mohammed-Sayed Jeena, 71, of Zeerust in North West on Sunday, after his sister, Zaiboon Jeena, 61, was cold-bloodedly murdered in her house in Ottoshoop (also in North West) on Wednesday.

"There was blood on the ceiling, the walls and the curtains... just blood."

"The poor woman was so small and thin; I don't know where all that blood came from."

"Those Afrikaners in Ottoshoop are going to miss her a lot because they loved her very much," said Mohammed-Sayed.

Zaiboon was buried in Zeerust on Thursday according to Muslim rites.

Superintendent Keaobaka Moses said that Zaiboon's domestic worker found her bloody corpse in the bedroom on Thursday morning.

He said there had been no sign of a robbery.

Moses confirmed Zaiboon had been burned with a hot iron and stabbed all over her body.

Moses added that presumably she also had been raped, but could not confirm that her fingers had been broken.

Several residents of Ottoshoop with whom Beeld spoke on Sunday were hugely upset about Zaiboon's callous murder.

Mohammed-Sayed said that his sister had lived in Ottoshoop her whole life and that she had provided food to the poor and bought them presents.

He said that on the day of her death she had cooked pots of food and handed it out to those who were hungry.

Government 'doesn't pay attention'

"Then, the bastards came and tortured her. I think she died a drawn-out, painful death.

"All this while the bloody government doesn't pay attention to crime.

"They are just busy stealing money and they don't care about the people down here," said Mohammed-Sayed angrily.

He said police were hot on the heels of a suspect, but could not give any further details.

Moses said the police had not yet arrested any suspects and that the investigation was continuing.

- Beeld