Elizabeth Magdalena Marais

Elizabeth "Magda" Marais (1953 - 1997)

Brief overview:

Magda (33), and her husband, Nicolaas Johannes Marais (44), were beaten with blunt objects and tortured to death on their smallholding/farm in Newcastle, on 25th November 1997.

Police said the couple were apparently strangled, then shot.

Brief Biography:

• Other Victims/Family
• Funeral/Memorial
• The Farm/Smallholding
• The Region (Land disputes, other incidents etc.)
  • A total of 12 people were murdered on farms or smallholdings in KZN during 1997. Besides Elizabeth and her husband Nicolaas, 11 other people were murdered, predominantly farmers and their wives. 8 of the victims were elderly, between the ages of 60 and 80. A further seven attacks occurred in the province during 1997.
  • Thelma Nzama (80), stabbed to death on a farm outside Paddock on 01/03/1997.
  • Werner Johannes Gathmann (60), shot and killed on his farm Schoonzicht, Seven Oaks, Rietvlei, Greytown on 25/03/1997
  • Peter Aurora Campbell (61), although not murdered on his farm, Peter a farmer from Vryheid was shot dead while delivering milk in Blood River on 26/03/1997.
  • Reginald Spencer Evans (55), shot in the face and chest at his farm Horseshoe, Camperdown, KZN on 30/06/1997
  • Christiaan Jacobus van der Walt (48), bludgeoned to death in Helpmekaar, Dundee on 05/08/1997.
  • Peter James Robert Ellson (68), and his wife Elizabeth Anne Jardine Ellson (68), hacked with panga’s on their farm Plottie in Thornville on 03/09/1997
  • Richard Noel Hardy (42), shot dead in Babanango on 03/09/1997
  • Vivianna Alma Gevers (60), shot twice in the head at her farm in Paulpietersburg on 05/10/1997.
  • Roald John Seabrook Smith (28), shot five times in Kzambonambi, north of Empangeni on 12/11/1997.
• 7 further attacks occurred in the province during 1997, where the victims thankfully survived:
  • 1997: Brett Kjonstad (41), shot through window when trying to protect his daughter Claudia who was being attacked in the garden on their farm near Margate.
  • 01/04/1997: Roland Niebuhr (40), his wife Heike (34) and their three children were overpowered, tied up and robbed on their farm near Paulpietersburg.
  • 03/04/1997: William Struckmeyer (66), attacked and stabbed with a knife on his farm Rietvallei in Howick.
  • 16/03/1997: Edwin Freese (36), his wife Inge (36) and their young daughters Brenda (4) and Chantel (9) were attacked at their Farm Datton in Lilienthal, Fawn Leas. Edwin and Inge suffered severe injuries.
  • 28/09/1997: Christo Delport, attacked and shot twice on his farm Nooitgedacht in Pangola
  • 20/10/1997: Dan Ellis, was in a critical condition after he was shot in the head through a window at his farm Texel in the Nkwaleni area.
  • 26/11/1997: Wayne Botha (32), attacked by the armed men on his farm in Highflats. He was hit on the back of his head with a walking stick and shot in the stomach. Fortunately the gun was loaded with buckshot.

Attack Details:

• Date and time of attack
• Weapons
• Items Stolen
• Investigative officer/SAPS Case No:
• Torture, Gratuitous violence
• Indications of Hate Crime? Threats etc.

Perpetrator details:

• Number and Descriptions
• Arrests
• Name/s and age/s of Perpetrator/s
• Country of origin of Perpetrator/s
• Trial/Conviction

Additional Biographical Information:

• Identity Number : 6410010031081
• Official cause of death : Unnatural causes

Links to Media articles:

• https://www.geni.com/documents/view?doc_id=6000000197078569822
• https://www.yumpu.com/nl/document/read/4451339/laai-af-die-lys-van-...
• https://archive.is/KaTTx

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0UlqSM-_mwDNWJlZmMxNmYtNGMwMS00Yz...

• https://graves-at-eggsa.org/main.php?g2_itemId=839253