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2008-01-12
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A North Coast family had to cancel their daughter's wedding this weekend after armed robbers killed her mother at their Tinley Manor home.

Fairbreeze Secondary School teacher Sharma Shah was fatally shot in the stomach, and her son Dhiresh is recovering after a bullet struck him in the neck.

The tragedy on Monday, five days before their daughter Khajal's wedding, forced the family to cancel the ceremony.

Umhlali police are searching for three suspects.

A spokesman who refused to be identified said a team of detectives were following 'certain leads'.

George Haripersad, a close relative, said the family were 'devastated'.

'It's extremely difficult when you have to deal with the image of your mother and wife being shot in front of you,' he said.

It was not the first time the family had been subjected to a robbery ordeal.

Last month, robbers held them at gunpoint and escaped with Shah's jewellery.

On Monday, Shah's husband, Neil, who owns a construction company, was confronted by three men as he was about to leave for work.

Haripersad said Neil recognised one of the men from the previous robbery and shouted for help.

He tried to close the door on the men, but they pushed their way into the house.

'Sharma and the children rushed downstairs to see what the commotion was about. It is unclear whether there was a scuffle, but it seems the suspects panicked and opened fire on the family,' said Haripersad.

Shah and her son were hit.

'Dhiresh is lucky to be alive after the bullet struck him in the neck and exited. Sharma was hit in the abdominal area. She was rushed to Victoria Hospital in Tongaat where she died.'

'It is so sad, because we were all preparing for a joyous family celebration at Khajal's wedding this weekend. Sharma was very excited about her daughter's marriage.

'The joy has turned to mourning. Instead of taking part in pre-nuptial traditions, we are mourning the loss of a wonderful, caring woman.

'We can only pray that the perpetrators are caught and punished. Tinley Manor was a peaceful little seaside town, but recently there's been a spate of crime in the area,' he said.