Durban - A UK-based woman who believes the police have not acted thoroughly when investigating her mother’s recent murder, has turned to the president’s office for help.
She has also written to the police minister, seeking his intervention.
Seventy-two-year-old Premla Moodliar’s lifeless body was found bound and gagged in the penthouse of a building she owned in Overport.
Her daughter Sesni Moodliar-Rensburg, who lives with her husband and three children in England, complained to the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) about the handling of the matter.
The crux of Moodliar-Rensburg’s complaint is that the police have not kept her abreast with their detective work, and she wanted to be interviewed because she claimed to have information that was important to the investigation.
Moodliar-Rensburg started an online petition with a view to speed up investigation.
Investigators from SAPS Mayville initially handled the matter which has since been taken over by detectives from the Provincial Investigations Unit. Moodliar, a former school teacher, who also had a hand in their family spice business, lived alone.
Her building was well secured and it also housed tenants.
Her body was found by a handyman who worked at the building on Moses Kotane (formerly Sparks) Road.
He noticed that the gate and door to Moodliar’s dwelling were open and she was lying on the floor.
Moodliar-Rensburg said her mother was security-conscious and would have not allowed a stranger into the building or her home.
Moodliar-Rensburg believes her mother’s killer could be someone known to her because she opened the gate for a person who was seen entering the complex on CCTV footage. It is yet to be determined what caused Moodliar’s death as the results of the post mortem are not available.
Moodliar-Rensburg believes her mother “suffered” before dying. She could not attend her mother’s funeral because the lockdown was in effect.
Captain Nqobile Gwala, the SAPS provincial spokesperson, said: “The Provincial Organised Crime unit is now investigating this case.
“Investigations are ongoing, the matter is receiving critical attention.”
No response was received from the Ipid at the time of publishing.