TRAIL OF TRAGEDY: Mario Tsawe, 29, has been arrested for the murders of siblings Dennis and Crystal Roberts.
A gay love affair, clandestine meetings in a Durban hotel and mutual hatred may have led to the horrific double slaying of Dennis Roberts, 75, and his sister, Crystal Roberts, 72, in Durban this week.
And, as the heartbroken family of the murdered siblings gathered in Durban yesterday for a double memorial service, the alleged murderer, Mario Tsawe, 29, appeared in the Durban Magistrate’s Court after being hunted down by a police special task team who cornered their suspect in the Eastern Cape.
The trail of tragedy started when Dennis Roberts was found strangled in a Formula One hotel room, close to Durban Station, last Sunday night.
The following day his sister was found stabbed and strangled in the Glenhills home they shared.
Crystal’s son, Rick Gerrard, found his mother’s body in a pool of blood late on Monday.
He said his uncle’s bank cards had been stolen, with cash withdrawn on Monday and that the crime scene indicated that his mother had been watching television when she was attacked and killed.
“The (TV) show was on pause and she had been smoking a cigarette,” he said.
When he alerted the police he learnt that his uncle had also been brutally killed.
By Wednesday morning the elite SAPS Provincial Hijacking Task Team had arrested Tsawe in Tsolo in the Eastern Cape.
He has been identified as Dennis Roberts’s lover, and Gerrard said the family knew of the relationship, which had started three months ago.
The two had apparently met on a gay website.
Although robbery is believed to have been the primary motive, Gerrard said the family believed there was an element of revenge in his mother’s killing.
“Mario hated my mom and my mom hated Mario,” he said.
Dennis Roberts had recently returned from the UK where he lived for many years.
A neighbour described Crystal Roberts as a “wonderful person who was passionate about getting things done”.
Slightly-built Tsawe, sporting streaked dreadlocks, appeared calm and almost nonchalant when he appeared in the Durban Magistrate’s Court yesterday morning.
He was dressed in blood-stained jeans, white takkies and a sweatshirt, and was clutching a small plastic bag.
Police spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Vincent Mdunge said the task team had followed Tsawe to East London and then Tsolo.
When police arrived at the homestead where he was hiding, Tsawe fled into the bush and police dogs were used to catch him, Mdunge said last night.
“The task team worked tirelessly until they caught the suspect. We are very proud of these officers, they are an excellent example to their peers and the quality of police officers we want to see on a day-to-day basis.
“Evidence was found at the scene linking the suspect to the murders and he has been spilling the beans.”
Shortly before the double memorial service started yesterday, Gerrard said he would like to thank the police officers who had “worked around the clock to arrest the suspect”.
“They were brilliant and did their job very efficiently. We were kept in the dark, but now I can see that was for the best,” he said.
The matter was referred to the Durban High Court to be heard on December 9 following further investigation, during which time Tsawe will remain in custody. -Independent on Saturday
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