Colleague heartbroken after man slays teacher wife

Samantha and Steven de Kock Photo: Facebook

Samantha and Steven de Kock Photo: Facebook

Published Jun 13, 2018

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Reality hasn’t sunk in for Zounnia Oliver, 25, a friend of slain Samantha de Kock, who was shot dead by her husband, Steven de Kock, who then turned the gun on himself on Monday.

When Oliver parked her car on Monday morning and yesterday at Battswood Primary School, near Ottery, she was puzzled that she did not see her friend’s car.

She described Samantha as an early bird. The two were teachers at the school. “Driving in and not seeing her car breaks me. When will I ever accept that I’m going to school and she’s gone?

“It doesn’t feel real even today. I was still waiting for her to come knocking at my window. I don’t recall arriving at school and she was not already there, even when I would tell myself that I’ll be early.”

Oliver said Samantha had a sense of humour. The two would take turns to bring lunch and on Fridays they were already discussing what they would have for lunch on Monday and who would bring it.

“When there was a pupil giving me problems, she would advise me on how to handle the issue.

“She would do random check-ups at my class and I would do the same,” Oliver added.

“She was a true friend. We used to be a group of four close friends, the four musketeers; the other two left the school and I was left with her.

“I last saw her on Saturday. No one saw this coming. He (Steven) never struck me as a person who would go to that point. When a person is abused the signs are normally there but with her case it was different.”

During a visit at the school, a parent called, questioning if the children had received trauma counselling because she noticed her child didn’t seem to be coping.

The school secretary confirmed that since Monday many parents had been asking the same question.

Western Cape Education Department spokesperson Bronagh Hammond said counselling was made available to the staff and pupils at the school.

The 25-year-old mother leaves her 5-year-old son, who was at the house in Lotus River at the time of the incident.

Steven de Kock had previously been attached to the City’s law enforcement

auxiliary unit as a volunteer.

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