Johanna Barendina Clasina Durieux

Johanna 'Jopie' Durieux (1920 - 2008)

Brief overview:

Johanna (87), her daughter Hendrika Johanna Bijkersma (57), her son-in-law, Douwe Gezinus Bijkersma, also 57, and family carer, Gelske Afke Wouda (40), an immigrant from Holland, were attacked and murdered by a former employee, Stephanus Modise (32), at their home in Florida, Roodepoort on 1st May 2008.

Johanna was stabbed three times in the neck. Although she survived the attacked, she passed away in a frail care centre in July 2008. Douwe was stabbed 28 times, Hendrika, who was wheelchair-bound due to having her leg amputated from cancer, was stabbed five times, Gelske Wouda (40), was stabbed nine times.

Stephanus Modise started working for the family in October 2004 as a gardener. When Hendrika had her leg amputated she organised for him to get a driving licence to enable him to also become her chauffeur. According to her daughter, Hiltje Bijkersma, the relationship between them had become strained after her mother explained that he drove aggressively, and there had been a dispute between them when Hendrika wanted to terminate Modise's employment, and unable to give him the increase he requested. Modise went to the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) to lay a complaint of unfair dismissal against her parents early in 2007. They ruled against his parents, who agreed on a payout in favour of Modise. The family allowed him to stay on the property until he got a new job.

Brief Biography:

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

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
  • On 15th March 2011 Modise was sentenced to three life terms in the Johannesburg High Court. “There is no doubt that the victims in the first three counts (murder) were viciously attacked. One by one they saw each other being stabbed. Mrs Bijkersma was wheelchairbound. It is clear that she was not able to escape the attack by the accused. All three women were attacked in the same room. When Mr Bijkersma was attacked, it is clear that he put up a fight, eventually giving up as he had sustained 23 wounds,” said Judge Mathabatha. Modise had not shown remorse throughout the trial, he added."

Additional Biographical Information:

Links to Media articles:

• https://www.pressreader.com/south-africa/the-star-south-africa-late...
• https://www.pressreader.com/south-africa/the-star-south-africa-late...
• http://archive.is/bNQwB
• http://archive.is/NYSxn
• http://archive.is/myYUO
• https://web.archive.org/web/20170204013944/http://www.iol.co.za/new...
• Reference: BillionGraves - SmartCopy: Dec 20 2022, 8:59:43 UTC