Mom found raped, strangled

2008-02-04 07:54

Fanie van Rooyen

Pretoria - The body of a nine-month-old girl's mother was discovered on a gravel road near her East Pretoria home about 14:30 on Sunday, after she'd been missing more than a day.

Elize Havenga, 26, was found raped and strangled in bushes next to the road, a few hundred metres from the Rietfontein smallholding where she lived.

It appeared she had been overpowered and killed while walking home to talk to her husband, after they had had an argument earlier.

André Snyman of Eblockwatch said on Sunday that community members and members of Eblockwatch had been searching for Havenga since Saturday night, after she had been seen alive last about 14:00 that afternoon.

Her husband, Jan Havenga, 26, spoke to Beeld at their home about half an hour before his wife's body was found on Sunday afternoon.

"We had an argument on Saturday morning and Elize asked her brother, Danie Very, 24, to come and collect her.

"About 10 minutes after Danie had collected her, she asked him to turn back so that she could come and speak to me again."

Havenga said she had asked her brother to let her out at the gravel road that led from Garsfontein Road to their smallholding.

Space to cool down

Very said on Sunday he assumed his sister wanted to walk the 2km to her home to give her time to think.

Before his wife's body was found, Havenga said he was sure she would not just leave because she was angry with him.

"When we argued, we usually gave each other space to cool down and then we'd try to sort matters out.

"We're more passive, than aggressive. I think she wanted to come and sort matters out with me."

After his wife's body had been found, Havenga phoned Beeld to tell them the news. He didn't want to say anything more about it.

Shocked family gathered at Havenga's home on Sunday after her body had been found.

Snyman said more than 100 people had logged on to Eblockwatch's website by 17:00 on Sunday, to express their horror and shock at her death.

- Beeld