OUMA’S GRAVE ROBBED - Angry family want suspects arrested after necklace is stolen from coffin

A GRIEVING family have been struck with a double blow, after their recently-buried ouma’s grave was dug up and her coffin raided for jewellery.

The Kensington family of 72-year-old Lillian Jacobs say that robbers dug open her grave on 28 November and broke her coffin in order to steal a gold chain around her neck and were hunting for her gold teeth.

The City’s Recreation and Parks Department has confirmed that an investigation has been initiated.

According to the family, the suspects are two tikkoppe from the community. They believe that the men dug open Jacobs' grave on 28 November and ripped the imitation gold chain off from Jacobs' neck while she lay in her coffin and had apparently opened her mouth to investigate whether she had her gold dentures.

The chain was later found dumped inside a backyard of a neighbour

Police spokesperson Sergeant Wesley Twigg confirmed a case was under investigation.

He said: “Kindly be advised that the mentioned case number is a malicious damage to property case. The investigation into the matter is ongoing and no arrests have been made yet."

Jacobs' devastated widower, Jeffrey Arendse, 66, regularly visits his wife's grave since her passing and found the grave in disarray.

He added: “I have been going to the grave every day since she died. 

“As I walked to the grave, I noticed that is a big hole, the frame was gone and the coffin was open. 

"I felt so disgusted, I shouted thinking that her peace has been disturbed all for drugs and to think they checked inside her mouth for the gold."

Another relative, who asked not to be named, said the family had carried out their own investigation and traced one of the suspects, who they found still vol sand.

The family member said: "We found out who the man was who helped the main suspect to dig the grave, he was still in bed, full of sand. 

“He admitted that he helped to dig the grave but that he stopped because he did not want to be involved any longer."

This suspect was then apparently beaten by residents. The family said they had confronted the main suspect's mother who denied his part in the crime

The family member added: "We heard that the main suspect, who my grandmother used to feed and his children, was bragging that he had dug up her grave and that he had even opened her mouth to check if the gold was there.

"How could he do that to her? He was the one who used to feed him and his children."

Arendse said he has been at the local police station everyday, to make sure that the suspects are arrested.