Christine Walters

Christine Walters (1949 - 2023)

Brief overview:

Christine (74), who lived on the farm Paperkuil in Ceres-Karoo, Calvina, in the Northern Cape with her son Robin Wakeford, was found murdered on Saturday 4th March 2023. Robin was not at the farm at the time.

Christine's body was found about 60 meters from the farmhouse. A shotgun lay next to her and she had a gunshot wound to her head. Her hands were tied with steel wire and a belt was tied around her neck.

"According to Capt. FC van Wyk, police spokesperson, said one of the farm workers, a Somali citizen, heard a shot go off near the homestead on the farm Papekuil around 04:05. He went to investigate and spotted three suspects at the farmhouse."

The police's air wing and dog unit helped track down the suspects.

Brief Biography:

• Other Victims/Family
• Funeral/Memorial
• The Farm/Smallholding
• The Region (Land disputes, other incidents etc.)

Attack Details:

• Date and time of attack
• Weapons
• Items Stolen
  • The police seized liquor and firearms looted from Walters' farmhouse.
• Investigative officer/SAPS Case No:
• Torture, Gratuitous violence
• Indications of Hate Crime? Threats etc.

Perpetrator details:

• Number and Descriptions
• Arrests
  • A 48-year-old former farm worker was arrested later that day. The other two suspects, respectively 17 and 22 years old, were arrested a day later. The suspects will appear in the local magistrate's court this week on charges of murder.
• Name/s and age/s of Perpetrator/s
• Country of origin of Perpetrator/s
• Trial/Conviction

Additional Biographical Information:

• Christine retired last year after previously working as an occupational health practitioner. After her retirement she went to live permanently on the farm.
• Tributes to Christine have been pouring in..
  • Joan Visser, a former colleague and friend of Walters, describes Walters as a woman with "strength, determination and grace”. "Throughout her career she tirelessly dedicated herself to creating a safe and healthy work environment for her clients," says Visser. “A small woman with a big presence. Her gentle spirit and smile could light up the darkest sky. Her heart was full of love, and she always gave her best in anything she undertook. She faced the world with courage and perseverance and could always find a silver lining in every challenge she had to face,” said Visser
  • Former colleague Sareen Kellerman will remember Walters' "soft, caring heart and friendly smile", while former colleagues Hester Briel and Juandre Visser praised Walters for her many years of hard work as an occupational health practitioner. "She had a bubbly personality," says Kellerman. "Throughout her life she stood up for what she believed to be right and never wavered in her commitment to do the right thing. She was a real pillar of support and always stood her ground, regardless of the circumstances. "Her unwavering integrity and steadfastness will be missed," says Briel.
  • Frances Hendriks, a long-time friend of Walters, says that she will remember Walters' "smile and the calculated way she spoke”. Hendriks and Walters met 43 years ago when they studied together at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology in Cape Town, as the institution is currently called. "You always thought before you spoke. I will remember your gentle heart and hospitality, your honesty. We don't always have a choice in how we die, but we do have a choice in how we live. I can imagine that in your last minutes you might have muttered: Father forgive them of their corrupt minds, because they do not know what they are doing," reads Hendriks' tribute.

Links to Media articles:

• https://archive.is/vXCZc
• https://t.co/pW4TnXayWj