Families mourn hijack murders
2007-10-15 22:38
Stephanie Saville and Nathi Olifant
Pietermaritzburg - The families of Elaine Anderson, 59, and Patricia Kippen, 39, who were both shot dead in Woodlands on Sunday night, are battling to come to terms with the senseless killings, in apparent botched hijackings.
"Why did they have to shoot her; why couldn't they just have taken the car and left her alone and did she witness the murder of Elaine Anderson?" asked Kippen's distraught mother, Fran Johnson.
Johnson said that her daughter was returning from dropping a friend in Woodlands, and was on her way home to Lawrence Circle, Hayfields, when the tragedy occurred.
"We got a call and rushed to the scene. They were trying to resuscitate Patsy when we arrived. She was rushed to St Anne's but she died."
Death 'uncalled-for'
The family said they do not understand why Kippen had turned towards Claridge instead of towards the city, and why the hijackers shot her. "Did she witness Elaine's murder perhaps?" said Johnson.
"It was an uncalled-for death. It is so unnecessary that she had to leave her two children. They showed no mercy towards her. If they had given her a chance she would have given them the car."
Kippen is survived by her husband, Kelvin, daughter Lee-Ann, 14, and son Christopher, 19. She worked as a human resources consultant at First National Bank in Boom Street.
Johnson said it is time that police acknowledge that crime is a problem.
"They must do something about it. These are two women, two mothers, who are gone now," she said.
"How many more rapes and murders must we see? What are the police doing about unlicensed guns? This is all so evil."
Family shocked
Kippen's funeral is to be held on Saturday at St Martin's Catholic Church.
The time will be announced later.
The Andersons could not confirm the time of Elaine's funeral, but said the funeral might take place this Saturday.
They said they had been overwhelmed by support from not only their community, but from people in various fields who knew their mother.
When The Witness visited the Andersons on Monday morning, the visibly shaken family said they had lost a mother and a very caring person.
"We're still in a huge state of shock," said daughter Arlette Pillay.
Another daughter, Lyndre Anderson, said the support from the community had moved them a lot and that people had been coming to sympathise with them.
"It's really unbelievable, my mother was a helper to everyone in this community," said Lyndre.
The suspects were still at large by Monday afternoon as police investigations continued.