An elderly mother in Mamelodi, east of Pretoria, is struggling to find closure as a man who allegedly killed her daughter and son in front of her is still on the loose and occasionally spotted walking freely in the streets.

The man, who is known to the family, apparently left his shoes at the murder scene in September after allegedly shooting dead Winnie Mokoena's two children in cold blood.

Mokoena, 74, still has the shoes worn by the gunman who allegedly shot dead her daughter Constance, 37, and son Philly, 40, who he accused of stealing his television set.

Mokoena told Sowetan yesterday the sandals were still in her possession and were a constant reminder of the day her son and daughter's lives were taken away mercilessly.

"Every time I look at those sandals they remind me how I begged that man not to kill my children. He just pulled the trigger and killed them in front of me," she said.

Mokoena, who now lives with her seven grandchildren, said she was also living in fear that the gunman might come back to attack her and her grandchildren.

"Now the man is roaming freely in the streets of Mamelodi as the police have not arrested him."

Mokoena said the suspect was well-known to the family and had come to their home on September 12 to see her son after his TV had apparently been stolen from his house.

"My son was not even staying with me at the time as he was renting a room in Mamelodi West. He came home only to fetch some garden tools on that day. He did not steal anything from that man," she said.

"That man shot my son several times outside the house and then came closer to fire more shots at my daughter, hitting her in the upper body and once in the head."

Mokoena said the man fled the scene, leaving behind a pair of scandals he was wearing which police never bothered to collect for forensic evidence.

"I am not well, I'm always in and out of hospital due to stress and depression... all I want is justice for myself and children and then I will find closure."

Regina Sadike, 57, Mokoena's other daughter, said the suspect was often seen walking freely around the area.

Capt Kay Makhubele of Gauteng police said they were following sensitive information which could not be made public. He advised that people should call police when they see the suspect.