Slain librarian's boyfriend will miss her 'smile, genuineness, big heart'

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Cape Town – Great Brak River residents paid their final respects to the town’s only librarian, Clodine Nuys, during her funeral at the weekend. Nuys’s body was found in bushes behind a Jonkersberg crèche by an 11-year-old boy during a community-led search on February 11. The killing rocked the small town of about 120 residents, who are calling for a stop to the violence against women and children. The 22-year-old’s hands and feet were tied with tape, and a cable tie was found around her neck. Russel Ayford, 24, was arrested two days later for her murder after he was on the run.

He appeared in a packed Great Brak River Magistrate’s Court last Tuesday. He will appear in court again tomorrow for a formal bail application.

On Saturday, friends, relatives and residents remembered Nuys at the United Reformed Church.

Her boyfriend Luciano Maniwil said his dream to one day marry Nuys had been crushed. Maniwil, who has been dating Nuys for seven years, said he lost the love of his life.

“I can’t imagine how things will be moving forward.

“I will miss seeing and talking to my best friend every day. Her smile, genuineness and big heart are what made me fall in love with her. I saw a future with her,” said Maniwil.

He said he last saw Nuys leaving for work in the morning, the same day she disappeared, and he gave her a goodbye kiss as he would usually do.

He was the person who contacted her family asking about Nuys’s wherabouts after he tried to call her to no avail.

Community leader Mauree Mertse said a petition to oppose bail for Ayford was started and they were hoping to also add an online one.

Cape Times