Friday, 09 December 2011

Staring horror in the face

In happier times - Gerda Pistorius with her mother Stoffelina

Murder victim’s daughter speaks of her pain

‘I stood in my own mother’s blood. ‘It looked as if an animal had been slaughtered, there was so much blood everywhere. ‘Her throat was slashed open thrice with a screwdriver. ‘She had more than thirty gaping wounds all over her body. ‘Her skull had two large cracks and she had one long deep cut in her arm. ‘Do you know what it does to a person to see your own mother like that? ‘I want to know why? Why so brutal?’

These are the harrowing words of Gerda Pistorius, daughter of murdered Stoffelina Pistorius, speaking to the Zululand Observer following the finalisation of the case when the Honourable Judge D Pillay passed a life sentence on her mother’s killer in the Mtunzini High Court on Thursday. As ex-policewoman, Gerda says her instinct took over and despite the trauma and shock, she photographed the crime scene meticulously, including the body.

Story must be told
Gerda was subpoenaed to testify on 12 December, but the matter took an abrupt turn when Mkhize pleaded guilty. ‘The new events will take some time to process, because I was preparing myself to relive that night as a witness for the State. ‘I never thought of seeing him (the accused) to know what he looks like. But I wanted to ask him a question. ‘I want to ask him why they did it, what was their motive? ‘She was old and frail. She would not have resisted in any way. They could have given her one hard slap and she would have been knocked out. ‘I believe she was tortured. Why?

‘My mother was very poor. She had no earthly possessions. ‘She was kind, soft hearted and had peace with every soul. ‘I am grateful towards especially the advocate who prosecuted and the police who helped me. But I will never have her back. ‘I did not get an opportunity to tell everybody how brutally my mother was tortured, what they did to her and how she died. ‘I want everybody to know it now.’

Traumatic times
Gerda moved to Richards Bay to be with her mother only four months prior to her death. ‘I changed careers, started a new life and thought I was going to have her forever. ‘I had no family here, worked on contract and was still adapting to a new environment. ‘I had to deal with the murder, the trauma of the family, the funeral arrangements and taking time off work scarcely after I had started. ‘I did not even know whether I was going to have a job to return to. ‘If it was not for the support of the people of RBM, the church and the community, I don’t know what would have happened and how I would have been able to survive such a trauma. ‘I want to thank all those people, too many to name.

‘In the end, it is only you and God, because a human cannot comfort such a pain and sorrow. ‘I do not believe the whole truth has come out and I hope there will come a day when all those responsible for my mother’s death have been brought to book. ‘I also hope that it will one day become easier to live with. ‘Lastly, I am glad that Mkhize has been removed from society.’