TALI FEINBERG
In a Facebook message to the newspaper, posted from New York, Ernie DeMarie wrote: “I did know that Rachel was Jewish (couldn’t remember if both of them were) and I did notice the press did not mention that – which was good when we thought there might be hope that they could be found, as it would only incite the ISIS crazies even more, I assume. I just remember her telling me that when I stayed with them, most likely I asked, or we were discussing religion.”
The couple, who were British but lived in Cape Town, were renowned for selling rare seeds through their company, Silverhill Seeds. A member of their staff said: “[Rachel’s] dad was [Jewish] and her mum was not. I am pretty sure she and Rod were of no particular denomination.”
Indeed, they are not listed on any communal databases in Cape Town.
DeMarie’s message comes as hope is all but lost of the pair being found alive. The Zululand Observer newspaper confirmed that a fourth suspect in the kidnapping, Ahmad “Bazooka” Jackson Mussa, who hails from Malawi, led police and members of the Hawks to the Tugela River Mouth. This is where their bodies are believed to have been dumped.
Reports suggest that the couple were murdered, their bodies tied up in sleeping bags and thrown in the Tugela River.
“The river is notorious for being home to hundreds of crocodiles and, with some seven weeks having passed since the couple was abducted, the chances of recovering anything are slim,” reported the Zululand Observer.
In addition, on March 25, the Weekend Argus reported: “A search party involving boats and divers is looking for the British couple’s bodies, which are believed to be submerged and wrapped in their sleeping bags. Tracker dogs are sniffing the river bank for clues that might narrow down the search area.”
But on Monday afternoon, the Zululand Observer broke the news that police are awaiting DNA test results for the body of a man that washed up on the banks of the Tugela River.
Reports indicate that as far back as February 28, the badly decomposed body of a man was found by a local fisherman about 500 metres from the Tugela River Mouth. It is understood that the body could have washed up quite some time before, as the river had overflowed and the area in which it was found was not accessible to police at the time.
“The body was badly decomposed, but there was still some flesh left on it. The left foot was missing and all the internal organs, including the stomach, were also missing. Crabs were eating the body,” said a source.
In his message, DeMarie, the couple’s customer and friend, wrote: “I can say from a personal viewpoint that I had always planned at some time in the future, perhaps when I retire from teaching in a few years, to visit South Africa again and meet up with Rod and Rachel – and perhaps stay with them or go seed hunting with them, as I did in the early 1990s, when I worked for the New York Botanical Garden.
“I saw them once briefly here in the US when they were giving talks for the Rock Garden Society. I also had a hope that one day I could host them in our house that we got in late 2012, where I have created a South African garden which includes many species grown from their seeds. But such dreams are not possible now.”
