The night before KwaZulu-Natal grandmother Christine Solik was killed she was in good spirits during a video call with her son and 20-month-old granddaughter.
On Thursday morning the Soliks’ son Alex paid tribute to his parents Christine and Roger at a thanksgiving mass at a packed Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church in Kloof in Durban. The mass was for friends from KwaZulu-Natal who are unable to attend the funeral in Cape Town next Tuesday.
The Soliks were found murdered in a river in Nzinga in Impendle near the Drakensberg‚ 70km from the family home at the Bend Country Estate in Nottingham Road. The couple’s home was trashed and had blood stains.
Christine’s body was found on Friday with her hands and legs tied with wire and her head gagged with a pillow‚ while her husband’s body was found on Monday after an intensive search.
The couple’s son Alex said his mother was in good spirits when he spoke to her last Thursday.
After the service Alex and his brother‚ Gregory‚ said their parents had just returned from the UK after attending Christine’s father’s funeral.
“Our grandmother is devastated having just lost her husband‚” said Alex.
They said after receiving news of their parents’ deaths all four children — Alex‚ Gregory‚ Brendon and Jessica Carelse — flew to KwaZulu-Natal from Cape Town and Johannesburg.
“We all flew in to be together and to be able to weather what came each day as a unit. For our family overseas‚ they are very shocked.”
They said their parents came to South Africa from Wales in 1981 after their father had seen an advert on sunny South Africa.
“Being an adventurous spirit they decided to come on a two-year contract and never went back. Mum and dad came from a coal mining town in Wales. My dad’s father died when he was young and my dad dropped out of school at the age of 16‚ but went back to night classes to get an artisanal qualification.”
The couple raised their children in Kloof where they lived for 18 years before moving to Cape Town.
They retired in Cape Town and decided to move to the Midlands.
“Our dad was someone who was always looking for a new experience.”
They said their mum loved being a mother and worked at a play school when they lived in Kloof.
“She loved kids and they were both so happy to have grandchildren. My father loved to cook. Some days there would be starters and a main meal. We sat at the table every night for dinner. We were all we had in a way with no family out here. We were really close as a family. We had a wonderful upbringing. It was non-negotiable that we go to university. For both mum and dad one of the greatest achievements was we all got a tertiary qualification‚” said Alex.
The family were last all together in December for Gregory and his wife Calli’s wedding in Cape Town.
They said their parents were in the process of selling their house and moving to be closer to the children.
The Soliks leave behind their children and two grandchildren‚ Xavier and Lucy.
Murdered KZN gran spent her last night alive video chatting with her granddaughter
The night before KwaZulu-Natal grandmother Christine Solik was killed she was in good spirits during a video call with her son and 20-month-old granddaughter.
On Thursday morning the Soliks’ son Alex paid tribute to his parents Christine and Roger at a thanksgiving mass at a packed Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church in Kloof in Durban. The mass was for friends from KwaZulu-Natal who are unable to attend the funeral in Cape Town next Tuesday.
The Soliks were found murdered in a river in Nzinga in Impendle near the Drakensberg‚ 70km from the family home at the Bend Country Estate in Nottingham Road. The couple’s home was trashed and had blood stains.
Christine’s body was found on Friday with her hands and legs tied with wire and her head gagged with a pillow‚ while her husband’s body was found on Monday after an intensive search.
The couple’s son Alex said his mother was in good spirits when he spoke to her last Thursday.
After the service Alex and his brother‚ Gregory‚ said their parents had just returned from the UK after attending Christine’s father’s funeral.
“Our grandmother is devastated having just lost her husband‚” said Alex.
They said after receiving news of their parents’ deaths all four children — Alex‚ Gregory‚ Brendon and Jessica Carelse — flew to KwaZulu-Natal from Cape Town and Johannesburg.
“We all flew in to be together and to be able to weather what came each day as a unit. For our family overseas‚ they are very shocked.”
They said their parents came to South Africa from Wales in 1981 after their father had seen an advert on sunny South Africa.
“Being an adventurous spirit they decided to come on a two-year contract and never went back. Mum and dad came from a coal mining town in Wales. My dad’s father died when he was young and my dad dropped out of school at the age of 16‚ but went back to night classes to get an artisanal qualification.”
The couple raised their children in Kloof where they lived for 18 years before moving to Cape Town.
They retired in Cape Town and decided to move to the Midlands.
“Our dad was someone who was always looking for a new experience.”
They said their mum loved being a mother and worked at a play school when they lived in Kloof.
“She loved kids and they were both so happy to have grandchildren. My father loved to cook. Some days there would be starters and a main meal. We sat at the table every night for dinner. We were all we had in a way with no family out here. We were really close as a family. We had a wonderful upbringing. It was non-negotiable that we go to university. For both mum and dad one of the greatest achievements was we all got a tertiary qualification‚” said Alex.
The family were last all together in December for Gregory and his wife Calli’s wedding in Cape Town.
They said their parents were in the process of selling their house and moving to be closer to the children.
The Soliks leave behind their children and two grandchildren‚ Xavier and Lucy.
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