Two mothers who were shot dead in Kraaifontein earlier this month were laid to rest on
Saturday.
Mother-of-three Arlene Manuel, 28, and pregnant Milandre van Wyk, 27, were gunned
down in Milner Road in Scottsville during load shedding on
3 February.
Residents said they heard seven gunshots in the early hours of the morning, but only discovered the bodies of the two women when the sun came out.
Community members found the two friends lying head to head next to each other, against the wall of the Old Apostolic Church.
Hundreds gathered at the VGK Church in Scottsville to bid their last farewell to the slain friends.
Arlene’s aunt, Susan Manuel, said her niece’s youngest child is still calling out for her.
“Her youngest daughter of three was still breastfeeding and on Friday she was still screaming for her mother’s breast,” she says.
“Her son keeps asking when he will be able to see his
mother.
“It’s heartbreaking to see such beautiful mothers die while their children are still so young.
“It’s so heartbreaking for both families.”
The brown coffins of the best friends stood side by side in the church - one coffin adorned in white and purple flowers, the other in white and pink flowers.
Pastor Marius van Schalkwyk officiated at the funeral and asked the community to find their way back to the Lord.
“Our society is busy dying. Today, two families are going through the heartache of death. We must turn back to the Lord so our lives can be enriched again,” he told the mourners.
A relative of Milandre, Werner Francke, thanked the community and specific individuals for their assistance and support during the families’ time of grieving.
Police are yet to make arrests in the case.