PHOENIX – In a case that has sent shockwaves through this Durban community, a Phoenix woman and her partner have been arrested for allegedly orchestrating the brutal murder of her recently retired father, hiring two vagrants for the sum of R3,500.
The victim, Arthur “Brian” Ramsamy, a retired eThekwini Municipality employee, was found strangled in his Weylen Close, Lenham home on October 5. Visible marks on his neck and injuries to his face pointed to a violent struggle.
A Calculated Plot and a Staged Discovery
Nicola Ramsamy, the victim’s daughter, and her partner, Brenden Sanichara, who shared the home with the deceased, were arrested and charged with murder last week. Two additional suspects, described as local vagrants, were also taken into custody.
According to an investigative source, the couple allegedly left their home in the early hours of the morning under the guise of an e-hailing pick-up in Durban. Upon their return, they reportedly “found” Ramsamy unresponsive on the floor.
The source claimed the two other suspects arrested confessed to being paid approximately R3,500 by the couple to carry out the killing. While the official motive remains unconfirmed, speculation is swirling that the murder was triggered by the victim’s recent pension payout after his retirement.
A Community in Mourning and a Call for Calm
The Phoenix Community Policing Forum (CPF) acknowledged the “tragic incident involving the suspected murder of a senior community member.”
“We urge the public to allow the investigative process to unfold and to refrain from speculation until verified information becomes available,” said interim CPF chairperson Val Pillay.
Ramsamy was laid to rest at a funeral held at his home on October 9.
The four accused, represented by attorney Chris Gounden, made their first appearance in the Verulam Magistrate’s Court on Monday. The case was adjourned for a formal bail application later this week, as the community awaits answers in a tragedy that appears to be a chilling betrayal of family trust.
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