THE dead woman, Valencia Samuels, was a mother of three. Facebook image
Cape Town - The family of a 38-year-old mother are battling to come to terms with her death after she was doused with petrol and set alight, allegedly by her husband.
Valencia Samuels, of Worcester, fought for her life for two weeks, at hospitals in Worcester and then Tygerberg Hospital in Cape Town after the ordeal.
Her husband, Richard Samuels, is currently appearing at the Worcester Magistrate’s Court. The motive behind the murder is believed to be jealousy.
Valencia’s social media had been flooded by a woman who claimed she had been in an extra-marital relationship with her husband, according to a family source.
In January, Samuels allegedly doused Valencia, his wife of nearly 10 years, with petrol and set her alight in front of people in Worcester. She was rushed to hospital where she later died due to the extent of her injuries and Samuels was arrested on January 19.
Valencia leaves behind sons aged seven, 11 and 14, who are currently in the care of her mother, Lea Pienaar.
Pienaar said her family was traumatised by the incident and that her daughter had loved her children, as well as her husband, and that the murder had rocked them.
“While we cannot comment about the case, we can say that the children are very traumatised,” said Pienaar. “The children are still receiving counselling. My daughter was such a loving person, she was loved by all.
“She loved her children very much and she loved her husband. This whole thing is such a big shock for us as a family.”
In a separate case, serial killer Siyamcela Sobambela, 31, was sentenced to 25 years behind bars for the brutal murders of three women in Pine Valley, near Wolseley, Worcester. The murders occurred during a two-month period in 2020.
Sobambela was sentenced at the Worcester Magistrates’ Court, high court division after pleading guilty and confessing to the killings.
Weekend Argus