A woman who was tortured by robbers with a iron has welcomed the arrest of two men in connection with the attack.
|||Durban - A widow who was tortured by robbers with a hot clothes iron has welcomed the arrest of two men in connection with the attack on her at her Thornville farm home.
Police made the arrests at two informal settlements in Durban’s Clare Estate early on Wednesday.
The two are alleged to be members of a gang of three who burnt Lena-Maria Jackson, 62, with a hot iron after demanding money, jewellery and guns, on August 31.
Jackson, who lost her husband about three years ago to cancer, lived on the farm with her son, who was away when the three gained entry to her home.
Awoken by a door banging, Jackson found the men in her kitchen.
They threatened her with knives, tied her hands with cable ties and demanded money.
Unhappy the pensioner only had R40 in cash, the men struck her with their knives and then began burning her with the iron, demanding more money, and guns.
Her attackers eventually left with her late husband’s shotgun and her bakkie, a Hyundai H100, but not beating Jackson up, after accusing her of triggering an alarm when she switched on the lights.
Jackson eventually freed herself and called her employee Simon Dube for help.
Since the attack, she said, she had been having sleeplessness nights, so when the Daily News broke the news to her of the arrests, Jackson was relieved.
“The news is like me having just won the Lotto.
“At least I might have a few winks of sleep tonight”, she said, “although I know in the back of my mind that one suspect is still lurking around.”
She said she had thrown the iron and the nightdress she was wearing at the time of the attack into the fire because they brought back bad memories.
Magma Investigations chief Shaheen Suleiman and officers from the Thornville SAPS and the Pietermaritzburg dog squad made the arrests.
Jackson was full of praise for Suleiman and said the government and police should give him their full support.
Police have confirmed that two suspects have been arrested and charged with house robbery with aggravating circumstances, and theft of a motor vehicle and a shotgun.
The men will appear in the Pietermaritzburg Magistrate’s Court today.
A third suspect is still on the run and police investigations are continuing.
Daily News