Durban - Two years after a Lenasia South mother was shot and robbed of R150 and two cellular phones, her family say they can finally start the healing process.
This comes after the two men accused of killing 63-year-old Seata Ramla were sentenced to life imprisonment, with 15 years for robbery, in the Johannesburg High Court recently.
The sentences will run consecutively.
Ramla, a mother of three, had exited a taxi after returning from work and was about 200m away from her Extension 1 home when she was shot in the abdomen and robbed in April 2016.
She was taken to hospital and succumbed to her injuries four days later.
Her eldest son, Metesh, said the family had waited 28 months for justice to be served so that they could finally get closure.
“Running to court took a toll on us, especially as we had to look at the men who robbed us of our joy. But now we can start to heal and move forward.”
He said they had not forgiven Ramla’s killers.
“My mother was a petite woman. They could have just taken what they wanted and left her alone. She was elderly and defenceless.”
Metesh added that his mother had been the family breadwinner and her untimely death had left them shattered.
“We were robbed of a person who was the heartbeat and backbone of the family. She was also the breadwinner as my father had lost his job.
“She never complained, even at her age. She used to get up early and take three taxis just to get to work.”
Ramla worked as a hairdresser for over two decades.
“She loved her job and always told us about the interesting people she had met,” said Metesh.