Faizel Patel, Radio Islam News, 2014-02-19

A 32 year old woman from Durban has been strangled to death.

Sorayia Charmaine Naidoo was at her Merebank home with her two brothers, two sisters and her daughter on Monday night (17th February) when two men forced open the gate.

The robbers ransacked the house and loaded household appliances into Naidoo’s Tata Indica and were about to flee but the car would not start.

 “They asked her to start the car because it wasn’t starting. Then they decided to take her with them,” said Yusuf Vawda, a family friend.

Naidoo’s family hoped she would be found dumped at the side of the road unhurt after the robbers kidnapped her,   instead six hours later police told them that Naidoo had been found strangled to death.

Police spokesperson Captain Thulani Zwane said that Naidoo’s body was discovered at kwaMakhutha, south of Durban, by local people at around 03:00am on Tuesday. “It is suspected that she was strangled and a postmortem will be conducted to determine the cause of death.”

“The vehicle was recovered at Isipingo area and the victim was found dead at kwaMakhutha. No arrests have been made at this stage,” said Zwane.

Naidoo’s cousin, Chinky Naidoo, told The Witness that Naidoo’s 15-year-old daughter, who was assaulted by the robbers, had to be sedated.

He said the teenager was in the bathroom when the robbers stormed the house. “When she came out of the bathroom, they held her by the neck and put her with the other people who were inside the house.”

Naidoo’s husband was not at home at the time of the incident as he was attending to his businesses.

A visibly shaken and teary eyed Naidoo’s brother, Junade Narasiah, who was in the house during the ordeal, said that everyone was hysterical and still traumatized by the ordeal.

Chinky described Naidoo as a fun and loving person who helped everyone. “Her mother passed away 11 years ago and she had become the mother figure to her six siblings,” he said.

Wentworth police station is investigating a case of house robbery, theft of motor vehicle, kidnapping and murder. – Witness

(Twitter: @Faizie143)