Grandmother dies after hijacking

Priscilla Pillay (64) died in a dark wetland area after she and her husband Selvin (68) were thrown from their vehicle during a hijacking on February 4. The Pillays lived in Heidelberg for many years and stayed involved in the Vinagar Temple in Shalimar Ridge.
Priscilla is the younger sister of Mali and sister-in-law to Paddy Padiachy (well-known businessman) in Heidelberg.
According to Paddy, the couple attended a funeral in Meyerton on the day of the incident. They were on their way home at 22:00 in their Toyota Hilux bakkie when they were ambushed just after a filling station on the R59 freeway (near the Meyerton offramp).
A white Volkswagen Golf with blue lights forced the couple to stop.
The Pillays were confronted by six armed men and forced back into their vehicle. The hijackers tied Selvin’s hands with cable binders before taking off with them.
They robbed the couple of their jewellery, cellphones and Priscilla’s handbag.
The couple was forced from the vehicle near the Zonkizizwe area in Kliprivier where the Pillays got separated in the dense reeds.
Selvin managed to break the cable ties and ran towards a nearby farmhouse. He was taken to the Kliprivier Police Station where he phoned his family. Paddy said family members joined police in the search for Priscilla. “It was pitch dark and they were not sure where to look for her,” he said.
Priscilla’s body was found at around 04:00. Paddy says the cause of death is not yet determined, but at the moment it looks like she might have died due to a massive heart attack.
The couple moved 10 years ago from Heidelberg to Kensington where they have their own business. They however, still attended weekend services at the Vinagar Temple where Priscilla operated as the chairperson. “She was busy organising a big event (the end of the 10 day fasting prayers) that took place on February 8. She was a loving person who did not hesitate to offer up time for her church and community,” Paddy said.
A cremation ceremony was held on February 6 in Lenasia. Almost 2 000 people attended the service.
The couple’s vehicle was later found abandoned in Rietspruit near Zonkizizwe. Police are appealing to anyone with information on the whereabouts of the suspects to phone Kliprivier SAPS on 011 903 8205 or Captain Ezekiel Somoro on 082 778 5944.
Priscilla is survived by her husband, daughter Malani (42) and two grandchildren.