'Hazel knew too much'

2003-11-13 08:29

Lizel Steenkamp

Johannesburg - Her undying love for an Israeli man who "got too big for his boots" after she brought him to South Africa eventually cost Hazel Crane her life.

So said a source close to the woman who was gunned down by an assassin outside her home on Tuesday.

In an interview on Wednesday, the source told how Crane's past eventually caught up with her.

Crane, a convicted diamond smuggler and close friend of Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, was shot in northern Johannesburg. She was hit four times - in the head, chest, arm and leg.

Her 48-year-old friend, who was in the car with her, was hit in the hand.

The women were on their way to Johannesburg High Court where Lior Saat, 33, a member of the so-called Israeli mafia, was appearing.

Saat is accused of murdering Crane's ex-husband, Shai Avissar, in October 1999.

Crane was due to testify later in a murder case against Saat.

According to the source, the group hired to kill Crane spoke of the plan recently.

'Stop with her crap'

"They told me that if she (Crane) did not stop with her crap, she would be taken out. Hazel knew too many names. She could easily identify them," said the source.

"The problem with Hazel was that she was getting used to the threats against her life. She did not expect them to do it now - she thought they would be too scared."

According to the source, Crane's late husband was killed in October 1999 after locking horns with an Israeli businessman.

'He was an outright villain'

"Shai got too big for his boots. He was an outright villain. A businessman came out from Israel to buy diamonds.

"Shai took his money, but didn't give him the diamonds. He then got four men to kill the businessman."

The man apparently bribed the hired killers. He offered them $40 000 not to kill him and then he fled the country.

"He then hired people to kill Shai," said the source.

"They came out here, worked with Shai and then eventually attacked him with a baseball bat and shot him dead."

Although Avissar and Crane were no longer married when he was killed, Crane was prepared to go to any lengths to make Avissar's killer(s) pay for what they had done.

"Despite everything, she still loved him." According to the source, Crane met Avissar in Tel Aviv.

"He was nothing. He was a low-class person whom she brought to South Africa and groomed.

"She bought him jewellery and taught him to dress. She was so embarrassed about the illiterate man, that she introduced him to us as her chauffeur."

Saat was arrested in April 2001 in connection with Avissar's murder.

Two months later, he was shot at while being taken to Johannesburg magistrate's court in a police van.

The police are still looking for another suspect, Amir Moila, who is wanted in connection with Avissar's murder.

"There are people that want to prevent Lior (Saat) from talking. There is a lot of money involved in this," said the source.

- Beeld