Cape Town - A Delft grandmother has tragically lost her life after she was shot at pointblank range in a hit allegedly meant for her grandson.
Elizabeth Botha, 73, was killed in a home invasion perpetrated by two unidentified suspects on Sunday evening.
Her daughter, Vicolize Botha, 41, said: “I told my son’s girlfriend that I didn’t feel like being at home and so asked her and my grandson to walk with me to Voorbrug. We had been gone for 10 minutes when the shooting happened. When we returned home, one of my neighbours told me that my mother had been killed and was lying inside the house. She had been shot in the eye and forehead.”
Botha said the two suspects were seen walking into the house in Olifants Crescent at around 6pm before the grandmother of 11 was killed.
Her relatives were sitting in another room when the shooting happened.
Chesleen May, 21, said: “Before I left with Vicolize, I was with my boyfriend in the other room. Elizabeth was making food. Her granddaughter said she was hungry, and the victim got up and dished up for her. I left my boyfriend as they were sitting in the other room, they then said they heard the gunshots. What’s baffling is that they didn’t go anywhere else in the house but just shot Elizabeth in the entrance to the kitchen.”
Botha said they suspected the assailants were looking for her 25-yearold son.
“Ever since his friend was killed earlier this year, there have been incidents like people throwing things on the roof. People have shot twice at the house.
“They blamed him for the murder but my son is not a gangster, and doesn’t want to be a gangster and that is one of the problems.
“What I have been thinking about is that the suspects didn’t go inside and look for my son, if they were looking for him. This makes no sense.
“We have been informed that two people were arrested, I hope they never come out of jail. We are going to court and ask them to keep them inside,” Botha said.
Police spokesperson, Anelisiwe Manyana, said the circumstances surrounding the incident were still under investigation.
“Delft police registered a murder for investigation following a shooting incident in Olifants Crescent, Leiden, Delft, where a 73-year-old woman was shot and fatally wounded.
“According to reports members attended the crime scene where they found the body of a woman lying on the ground with a gunshot wound sustained to her body.
“The victim was declared deceased on the scene by the medical personnel. The motive behind this incident forms part of an ongoing investigation. The unknown suspects fled the scene and are yet to be arrested.”
Police appealed to anyone with information to contact Crime Stop on 08600 10111.
Cape Argus