A court has heard that murdered Zarah Hector was killed for her boyfriend’s larney BMW Z3 when she could not pay her debt to one of the accused.
It also emerged in the Blue Downs Magistrates’ Court on Friday that the hammer attack that killed her was the second attempt to take her life.
Tawfeeq Ebrahim, 26, of Tuscany Glen in Blue Downs, and co-accused Ronaldo van Rooyen, 34, have been charged with murder, defeating the ends of justice and aggravated robbery relating to Zarah’s death.
On Friday, Ebrahim applied for bail, but Magistrate Vincent Ketye found Ebrahim failed to prove there were exceptional circumstances which justified his release on bail.
“Your personal circumstances are just commonplace. They are not of a degree that I can say they are exceptional,” the magistrate said on Friday.
Ebrahim had argued that he needed to be released on bail so he could look after his two small children - two and three years - and prepare for trial.
It is alleged they conspired to kill Zarah for her boyfriend’s BMW Z3 because she owed Van Rooyen a large sum of money.
However, after their first plan to kill her allegedly failed, they managed to lure her to Van Rooyen’s home on March 15.
Prosecutor Nathan Adriaanse told the court during Ebrahim’s bail application, the two had previously tried to kill Zarah on March 14.
But the 33-year-old mom got a phone call and left Van Rooyen’s Kuils River home before they could carry out their plan.
A day later she was bludgeoned to death with a hammer, allegedly inside Van Rooyen’s garage.
Her body was wrapped in canvas and dumped in bushes at Groot Drakenstein.
It is alleged the pair later unsuccessfully tried to sell the larney car in Bishop Lavis for about R5000.
Ebrahim’s bail denial comes a week after Van Rooyen refused to apply for bail.
After the court appearance, Tawfeeq’s mother, Nazley Ebrahim, told the Daily Voice her family had expected bail to be denied, but they still hoped he would be released.
“The Almighty has chosen his path and we are making peace with it,” says Nazley.
“We are coping as best as we can and will accept His will,” she says emotionally, insisting she will give her son whatever support he needs.
“I will be there every time he appears and support him. He is my son and I would trade my life to have him home.”
And while supporters of Zarah’s family were happy bail was denied, a close relative has deeper concerns.
Zarah’s brother Brendan said he was satisfied that justice was being served but something was worrying him about the suspects.
“A person would expect people to suffer in prison, but daai twee lyk dan nie soos hulle suffer nie,” he says.
“D ie hare en baard is getrim like they just stepped out of a salon and they are very clean. Hulle lyk te mooi.
“I am however satisfied with the Magistrate. He said the case is concrete. I’m just glad there is no way they can escape.”