These are the words of Olive Stenger, who recently lost her daughter in an alleged armed robbery in Belhambra Road, Primrose East (GCN, November 14).<\/p>\n
Carol-Anne Pretorius (53) died after being shot by her attackers and her daughter, Erika Pretorius (26), is currently recovering in hospital after also being shot and critically wounded.<\/p>
A neighbour who ran to assist the women was also shot and injured and is recovering well.<\/p>\n
The incident took place outside Erika\u2019s home.<\/p>\n
The GCN visited Olive at her Tedstoneville home on Thursday, to talk about Carol-Anne.<\/p>\n
Olive described her as a friendly girl who was always well-liked.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe loved the water and was very clever at doing things with her hands, like knitting and crocheting,\u201d Olive said.<\/p>\n
She added that, from as far back as she could remember, Carol-Anne\u2019s goal when she left school was to go and work at a place where she could care for babies, and she made this her career.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs soon as she left school she got a job at Teddies Nursery School, near our home, and then worked at a number of nursery schools over the years.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt the time of her death she was working at a school in the Primrose area and I believe the parents loved having her look after their babies,\u201d Olive said.<\/p>\n
Olive told the GCN that Carol-Anne was just getting over a terrible year and finding her feet again after the death of her husband, Neels, almost exactly a year to the day of Carol-Anne\u2019s death.<\/p>\n
The couple had been married for 27 years and had three children together, Glen (29), Erika (26) and Helmuth (14).<\/p>\n
\u201cShe was in the process of moving house, so I hadn\u2019t seen her for about two-and-a-half weeks,\u201d Olive said.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut then, on the Monday evening, the night before the shooting, she and Helmuth popped in to visit my husband Bob and I.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was just a quick visit.\u201d<\/p>\n
Olive described the night of November 4 as almost unreal.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt about 11.30pm that night, I was on my way to bed and heard my daughter Brenda and her husband Petrus Kruger talking.<\/p>\n
\u201cI went to check if everything was alright and Brenda told me that Carol-Anne had been attacked and shot.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe rushed to the Tambo Memorial Hospital, in Boksburg, where she had been taken and we were told that there was no hope for her,\u201d Olive said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe doctor said we should go and say our last goodbyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I entered the room, the doctor wouldn\u2019t let me go to her bedside as he didn\u2019t want me to see how badly injured her face was.<\/p>\n
\u201cI said goodbye to her from just inside the room.\u201d<\/p>\n
Olive is now very concerned about her granddaughter, Erika.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen she comes home, I am sure she is going to need specialised care,\u201d Olive said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a big worry for me.\u201d<\/p>\n Olive added that arrangements have been made for the care of Helmuth.<\/p>\n He has also started counselling sessions, as he witnessed the incident.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is extremely important that he gets proper counselling,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Carol-Anne\u2019s funeral was held on Friday, at the NG Kerk, in Sunnyridge.<\/p>\n \u201cI will never come to terms with this loss,\u201d said Bob, Olive\u2019s husband.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t understand why they had to take lives,\u201d Olive said.<\/p>\n Carol-Anne’s brother, Rob Stenger, who lives in England, told the GCN that she was a wonderful mother and a good person and she will be greatly missed by all her family and friends.<\/p>\n Related articles:<\/p>\n Woman dies in alleged attempted hijacking <\/a><\/p>\n Police continue to investigate shooting in Primrose East <\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n![\"Erika](\"https:\/\/germistoncitynews.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/31\/2014\/11\/46GCNCRIMECAR_615970618.jpg\")
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