Durban - A Chatsworth family are dealing with the pain of losing their 82-year-old father during a home invasion.
Bhim Sukununun was found by his daughters in the yard of their home on Friday morning. He was covered in blood.
His daughter, who asked to be referred to as Dr Bhim, said the father of four had a strong will and was a fighter.
She said: “We are devastated. My sister couldn’t come back to the house.”
Bhim said at midnight on Thursday she woke up after thinking her father was calling for her.
She called him on his cellphone, ascertained he had not called for her, and they had a chat.
Bhim said she did not want to startle him by shouting across the house because he had a pacemaker
Her mother died three years ago.
“His last words to me were: ‘Thank you for the call.’”
A few minutes later, Bhim heard her sister, Mayshree, screaming that her phone had been stolen. She said she did not pay attention to this and put it down to forgetfulness.
Her sister then said her bag had also been taken and someone must have broken into the house.
Light
Bhim and Mayshree checked on their father and went to his room. The light was on, but he was not there.
They searched the house and found him lying outside. His ankles had been tied with a belt, his hands tied with one of his T-shirts and another shirt was used to gag him.
Bhim said she could see her father had fought his attackers. They called for an ambulance but decided to take him to Chatsmed Hospital where he later died. Bhim said the funeral was held on Saturday,
She said: “He was such a fighter He survived everything and he had to go this way.”
Bhim, a former lecturer, said she had resigned from her job to take care of her parents and was extremely close to them.
She said she did not know how to break the news of her father’s death to people.
Sukununun had been a businessman for 39 years.
Neighbours expressed shock at the incident and said this had left them living in fear.
Cookie Reddy said: “He was a very nice person. If you want something, take it and go. There was no need to assault him. Why kill him?”
Reddy added that people in the neighbourhood were now hiring security companies to patrol the area because having dogs was “no longer enough”.
SAPS Captain Nqobile Gwala confirmed the incident and said a docket of house robbery and murder had been opened.