Elderly white couple Susanna and Melvin Lawson 'may have been murdered so that others can move in' - police and local ANC-counsellor launch investigation, hold emergency meeting about gruesome double-murders of Susanna and Melvin Lawson in government-owned cottage. "There is a severe housing shortage', ANC counsellor confirms.
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-- Chelsea Pieterse, Friday 27 Feb 2015 - Pietermaritburg, Oribi Village: The couple were stabbed to death: their neck was sliced through and then they were set alight.
Journalist Chelsea Pieterse reports that local community members report that there is such a massive housing shortage that the elderly couple may have been murdered so that somebody else can move into their little house. They died early Thursday morning: Susanne 72 and Melvin Lawson 71 were stabbed to death and then petrol was thrown over them and they were set alight. A neighbour said the couple had a breakin a month earlier and their pension-cards and cash was stolen. "They were probably robbed by people who wanted to scare them into leaving their apartment,' he said.
Local ANC-councillor Philani Ngidi confirmed that 'the area has a serious shortage of housing. Most of the cottages in the Oribi area are owned by the Dept of Human Settlement and rented to residents. These people often are targetted by local drug-addicts who want to occupy the apartments. "We are meeting on Saturday to discuss this. I strongly suspect that the motive for this double-murder of the white couple was their house, but we aren't certain as yet". The local police also confirmed that this was their suspicion. Local community members are aghast at the incident, and were standing around outside their homes talking about the 'quiet, withdrawn couple' which was murdered to gruesomely. A neighbour lady said she woke up early that day and heard dogs barking. "I looked through my bathroom window and saw the curtains move around. I thought it was just Melvin yelling at the dogs'. Susanne's niece Sandra Vorster was inconsolable: weeping uncontrollably, she only managed to say that they had been 'very close'.
#SouthAfrica Elderly white couple Susanna and Melvin Lawson 'may have been murdered by mob so that others can move in'
Vermoor, toe brand hul woning - sterf dalk sodat ander kan intrek
Deur Chelsea Pieterse Vrydag 27 Februarie 2015 06:36 Susan en Melvin Lawson. Bure en familielede het die bejaarde egpaar as stil en teruggetrokke beskryf. Hulle is in die nek gesteek.
’n Bejaarde egpaar is hier in hul voorstedelike woonstel vermoor en aan die brand gesteek – vermoedelik deur mense wat hul woning wil hê.
Susan (72) en Melvin Lawson (71) is Donderdagoggend vroeg albei in die nek gesteek voordat petrol oor hulle gegooi en hul lyke aan die brand gesteek is.
Melvin is vyf keer gesteek en sy vrou een keer.Hul bure het op hulle afgekom nadat honde geblaf en hulle ondersoek ingestel het.
Hulle het rook uit die woonstel sien borrel. Hul lyke het in verskillende vertrekke van hul netjiese woning in Oribi Village, tussen die Pietermaritzburgse lughawe en die kampus van die Universiteit van KwaZulu-Natal, gelê.
’n Buurman, wat nie sy naam genoem wil hê nie, het gesê daar is verlede maand by die Lawsons ingebreek en geld en hul pensioenkaarte is gesteel.
Hy het gesê hulle is waarskynlik besteel deur mense wat hulle wou skrikmaak sodat hulle uit die woonstel trek.
Philani Ngidi, raadslid in Oribi, het gesê daar is ernstige behuisingsprobleme in die gebied. Die meeste van die woonplekke behoort aan die departement van menslike nedersettings en word aan die inwoners verhuur.
Hulle word daarom deur ander mense, veral plaaslike dwelmverslaafdes, geteiken wat die woonstel wil beset.
“Ons vergader Saterdag om die probleem te bespreek. Ek vermoed die motief was die huis, maar ons is nog nie seker nie.”
’n Polisiebron het ook gesê die vermoede bestaan dat die Lawsons deur iemand vermoor is wat hul woonstel wil hê.
Ngidi het gesê hy het al met die departement van menslike nedersettings en die Msunduzi-munisipaliteit vergader en voorgestel dat die titelaktes van die eiendomme aan die bewoners oorgedra word om die probleem op te los.
“Die departement moet die proses nou versnel.”
Intussen het bure en die Lawsons se familielede Donderdag buite hul woning gestaan en praat oor dié “stil, teruggetrokke” egpaar.
’n Buurvrou het vertel sy het vroegoggend wakker geword en honde hoor blaf.
“Ek het deur my badkamervenster gekyk en gesien hoe hul badkamerlig aangaan en weer afgaan, en toe die kamerlig.
“Toe gaan die kombuislig aan en iemand loer verby die gordyne, maar ek het gedink dit is Melvin wat met die honde raas.”
Susan se broerskind, Sandra Vorster, het ontroosbaar gehuil en kon net uitkry dat hulle baie na aan mekaar was.
Niemand is nog in hegtenis geneem nie.
http://www.netwerk24.com/nuus/2015-02-27-vermoor-toe-brand-hul-woning-sterf-dalk-sodat-ander-kan-intrek
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Update: Double murder case opened
Lehmkuhl described Susanna and Melvin Lawson as a “pleasant and humble couple” that everyone loved
Kelasha Balan | 26 February 2015 10:57
Caryn Lehmkuhl, SAVF Community Centre Manager, has confirmed that the elderly couple found dead in their burnt house this morning belonged to the community centre.
Lehmkuhl described Susanna and Melvin Lawson as a “pleasant and humble couple” that everyone loved.
Wtnesses who found the couple at 2am this morning said that they found Melvin Lawson lying in a pool of blood and his wife, Susanna Lawson, was on fire.
It is suspected that they were killed at around 7pm last night and were only burnt this morning.
The couple’s house was believed to have been burgled three weeks ago.
Suspects are unknown at this stage but police have opened up a case of double murder.
http://maritzburgsun.co.za/19551/update-double-murder-case-opened/
http://maritzburgsun.co.za/19545/update-suspects-may-have-had-keys-to-oribi-house/
http://maritzburgsun.co.za/19538/breaking-news-elderly-couple-found-dead-in-oribi/
http://maritzburgsun.co.za/19542/update-elderly-couple-found-dead-in-oribi-village/
http://maritzburgsun.co.za/19587/images-from-the-murder-scene-this-morning/
@afriforum #SouthAfrica Couple murdered at #Derby smallholding butchery: 2 children survive attack by 2 black gunmen pic.twitter.com/R2dZI8pFA3
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