Inseparable in life and death
2003-03-11 21:42
Charles Smith
Bloemfontein - The two friends did everything together when they were still alive: they lived next to each other, they did woodwork together, they cooked dinner together, they spent their holidays together.
On Monday Jan Zandberg, 71, and Dolf Lloyd, 69, died together when attackers overpowered them on the Lloyd's Estoire smallholding near Bloemfontein. They were strangled to death with wire. Their bodies were found next to each other in the dining room.
And at 14:00 on Friday they will be buried together. They will have identical coffins, and will be laid to rest next to each other in Bainsvlei cemetery, their single funeral programme states.
Their graves will be deep enough so that their wives Zenobia Lloyd and Babs Zandberg can one day be buried on top of them.
Magriet Smit, 79, Zenobia Lloyd's mother, who lived with the couple on the smallholding, survived the attack.
Sanet Kotze, the Zandbergs' daughter, said: "They were the biggest pals. They had dinner together five nights a week - they cooked together. Every year they went on holiday together."
The murders not only destroyed a friendship, but also created practical problems. Neither of the women, who have been left alone on their neighbouring smallholdings, can drive a car.
Babs Zandberg has moved in with her daughter in the city. Zenobia Lloyd and her mother are living with friends. The Lloyds have no children.
No person in his right mind can kill someone like this, Kotze said. "Even the dog. It's barbaric. I don't have tears, I'm hysterical."
She constantly feared that something would happen to her parents on the smallholding, which is now up for sale.
The Zandbergs also have two sons, Johan, of Bloemfontein, and Albert, of Kroonstad.
Police were on Tuesday still hot on the heels of the attackers. Two suspects were temporary workers on the Lloyd's smallholding.
- Volksblad