h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

OK I take it back, South African Police Force, you actually did something good! They've arrested two suspects in the murder of Lizette Deacon and her mother Hettie. The two men were in her employ! One, 35 years old, is actually an illegal immigrant from Zimbabwe, and employed part-time, the other aged 30 apparently worked in her house!

Anyways I've heard stories with some contradictions. One said that the murderer was fired by Lizette three years ago and wanted revenge, and hired the guy from Zimbabwe to kill her ...

So anyways.. many questions remain and we'll have to see how the investigations and trial go from here ...

That's a really sad story, Willem. I'm sorry about your friends. Perhaps people in the neighbourhood will feel reassured, though, if the perpetrators are caught.

how sad, but I'm glad they're in custody.

Very quick result for a murder investigation, credit to your police officers. Sure the full story will unwind at the hearings. Hope the victims get justice.

Hello folks! What interests me a lot about this is how the stories vary. One story was that the man who had Lizette and her mom murdered was fired three years ago, the other story says he was fired during the COVID lockdown. Other stories say she didn't fire anyone and was in fact especially generous to her employees. Her mother was said in many reports to be 70 years old. But she was 55 ... so her mother had her at the age of fifteen? That's rather implausible and yet several reports simply parroted those ages. Recently her mom was reported to have been 79 years old, which is far more likely.

The entire community is up in arms about this. There are tributes to them in the newspaper, by employees and co-managers. There have been protests, politicians have visited their families.

I must stress that these guys are still just suspects. They still need to be tried, though it looks like a pretty clear case. In the newspaper photo, they just look like two regular guys, standing there in their COVID masks, diffident-looking.

But as for catching them ... well criminals generally tend to be dumb as rocks. If there's just one cop who's a bit bright, justice has a chance.

Thank the Lord for that one bit bright cop. I must be lucky, I met a whole squad of them from SA once, what are the odds?

I was being a bit tongue-in-cheek about the uselenessness of the SA police! I've had dealings with them a lot and Polokwane police are rather okay. A bit sloppy in general but there are good ones among them.

Now many of our cops have gone overseas especially after 1994.