Cape Town - A memorial service for the Ukrainian tourist, Ivan Ivanov, 43, fatally stabbed in Hout Bay on Saturday will be held at the East Fort on Chapman’s Peak this Sunday.
Dina Ivanova, sister-in-law of Ivan, wrote to the Hout Bay community and thanked them for their support.
She said: “On behalf of Ivan’s wife Tina and the whole Ivanov family, I’d thank you for sharing our pain. It has given us consolation and strength to deal with this terrible loss.”
Bronwyn Moore from the Community Cohesion organisation said the “ninth day memorial service” would be conducted by Orthodox priest Father Nikolaos Giamouridis assisted by deacon Michael Samos, as requested by the Ivanov family.
Moore said those able to walk up to East Fort should “please park down at the beach parking area, and those who need to drive, metro police will be assisting with traffic control at East Fort”. The ceremony starts at 3.30pm.
“I’ll have a box to collect any personal messages for anyone wishing to express their feelings, which I’ll send over to the family in Geneva,” Moore said.
Community Crime Prevention director Keri Cross has urged the community and security roleplayers
to stand together and seek justice for Ivan. “We want to see change in the justice system. We want to be able to walk freely on our mountain and to the beach,” she said.
Co-owner of True Guard Security Fareed Hoosen said that since the death of Ivan they had been amazed by the unity and support from the community of Hout Bay, and commended the police for working with them.
Reports said that during a struggle with his attackers, Ivan was stabbed a number of times in the chest and bled to death on the trail, while the attackers fled towards Hout Bay with Ivan’s backpack.
Three suspects have been arrested. The first, Sinaye Mposelwa, 23, was apprehended on the day of the incident by neighbourhood watch members with items believed to belong to the victim.
He appeared in the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court on Monday where he faces a charge of murder and robbery with aggravating circumstances.
The second and the third suspects are due to appear in Wynberg Magistrate’s Court today on a charge of murder.
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