Family Pleads for Help – Mom Murdered, Dad Missing After SA Farmstead Robbery

“We never thought we would ever have to write a letter like this to our fellow South Africans,” starts a letter written by the family of Christine Solik, who was murdered on Friday in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. (Update 20 Feb ’17 – Body of Missing South African Father Roger Solik Sadly Found.)

The letter is titled “Fellow South Africans, Please Help Mom is Murdered, And Our Dad Has Hours to Live”.

The Solik family says: “On Friday, 17 February 2017, we received a call from W/O Du Plessis, Branch Commander SAPS Nottingham Road. He informed us that there had been a robbery at our family home at the Bend Country Estate, and that our mother Christine Solik (57) had been found in a river murdered some 70km away from the house.

“Our father, Roger Solik (66), however, is still missing. He has fought hard against Parkinson’s disease for twenty years. Daily medication is essential for his condition and, no matter how mentally fit he is, without his medication he will become totally dysfunctional within 48 hours.

“It is critical that we find our father soon as he has hours to live. If you have any information please contact SAPS 10111, W/O Du Plessis 083 – 777 – 0898, or SA CAN 08616 – 72226. We would be very grateful for any assistance.

“Our parents were inseparable and their relationship was something to aspire to. It is hard to understand that on their community farmland estate, with rolling hills and endless nature, and neighbours 100m away, that something so violent could happen. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers.”

The family also thanked the Police Services, Hawks and various other government and private associations for their assistance, as well as the outpouring from the community and friends.

“Whilst we find ourselves in the most difficult and tragic circumstances, the teamwork under the leadership of SAPS gives us hope,” said Soliks.

According to Nottingham Road SAPS, it is believed that during the night of the 16th of February, the couple was robbed and taken from their home at the Bend. Their car was later found abandoned near Taylors Halt area. Christine’s body was found dumped in a river near Impendle.

Police have asked locals to be on the lookout for Roger Solik who is still missing. If you have any information – please call the numbers above.

Last Monday South Africa was rocked by the Modderbult murders of Louis Smuts, his wife Belinda, and his parents, Gert and Paulina, on their farm outside Balfour in Mpumalanga. See interview below with the Smuts’ now orphaned daughter Cherize (18).

Four men have been arrested in connection with the murders and robberies.

The Democratic Alliance has called for the reintroduction of rural safety units – they said (on 15 February 2017) that there had already been 30 farm attacks and 11 murders since the start of this month in South Africa. There is also a high incidence of murders in townships and other areas of South Africa.

Watch teenager Cherize Smuts interviewed after parents and grandparents murdered on farm in Mpumulanga, South Africa

South Africa recently released the latest stats in the ‘Victims of Crime’ Report