Durban - They were married for 56 years and respected as one of the pioneering families in oThongathi (Tongaat).
But Papiah “Daddy” Naidoo, 82, and his wife Govindamah, 78, pictured, could not even live out their twilight years in the home they regarded as a sanctuary.
Cold-blooded killers invaded their home in Chelmsford Heights on Saturday afternoon, bludgeoning Papiah to death with a knobkierie in his bedroom before tying the helpless great-grandfather’s arms behind his back.
His wife rushed to his aid when she heard his screams.
For her heroic efforts, the frail woman was stabbed in her hand and hit on her face, rupturing an eye. She, too, was tied up.
She is recovering in hospital.
As their devastated family take in the horror attack, most South Africans are reeling from the shock of the latest crime statistics, which reveal that 57 people are killed every day (a 6.9% increase in the murder rate from the previous year).
In real terms, that means 20 336 people were murdered in the past year.
“We always hear and read about these brutal robberies and murders in the media, but when it happens in your own family, that is when it really hits home,” Vassa Reddy, the couple’s son-in-law, told POST.
“None of us in the family are coping.”
The attack comes days after the brutal murder of Dhir “Roy” Singh, 68, and his partner Kallawathie Beekarie, 60, who were found in the bathroom of their home in Cottonlands, Verulam.
Their lives were snuffed out for a television set and their car.
Reddy said his in-laws had lived alone. They had four children, eight grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
“They were one of the pioneering families in the community. Being a bus driver, my father-in-law was well-known and respected. It is so hard to accept he is gone.”
The family, he said, were finding some peace knowing that Govindamah was on the road to recovery.
“She had to undergo surgery to her eye and despite all that has transpired in the recent days, she remains so strong. She is a petite and fragile woman.
“I cannot understand why these suspects acted so violently against her.”
On Saturday afternoon, Papiah had noticed a woman standing at his front gate and when he went outside to see what she needed, he was accosted by two men armed with a knife and a knobkierie, Reddy said.
“They began hitting him on the head with the knobkierie. His screams for help alerted my mother-in-law, and when she came to his aid she was also stabbed on her left hand and they hit her on her face, rupturing her eye.”
Reddy said the robbers had tied up the couple and forced them to sit in their bedroom.
“The suspects then ransacked the home, stealing cash and jewellery before they fled.
“Although badly injured, my mother-in-law managed to free herself and contacted one of her daughters and a neighbour for help.”
When the 70-year-old neighbour picked up the phone, all she could hear was, “Help me, we are dying”.
“She was frantic on the phone,” the elderly neighbour told POST. Terrified for her safety, she asked her name not be used.
“I told my son to call Reaction Unit South Africa and we rushed to the house,” she said.
They were horrified by what they saw.
Govinda- mah had blood oozing out of her eye and hands, and her husband’s head was covered in blood as he lay on the floor.
“I am living in the community for 42 years and this is the first time something like this has happened. This is a very peaceful area and criminals are trying to creep in,” the neighbour said.
Another elderly resident said criminals were taking advantage of older people because they were frail and easy to overpower.
“I am very worried about my safety and have been locked up in my home since Saturday. They were nice people and did not deserve to be attacked in such a brutal manner.”
In light of the crime, other residents say they want to start a neighbourhood watch.
“My elderly parents live with me and mostly they are alone because I work shifts. I am scared to leave them alone. You never know who is watching,” said a 36-year-old resident.
Papiah’s funeral is expected to take place later this week.
“We are waiting for my mother-in-law to get discharged from hospital in order to proceed with the funeral arrangements,” said Reddy.
Police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Thulani Zwane said no arrests had been made.