Woman found dead in Chatsworth park 'dated men in exchange for money'

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Durban - The husband of the 24-year-old woman who was allegedly raped and murdered in a park in Chatsworth said she dated men in exchange for money. It is said that on Friday evening Sumaya Raylene Hoosen left a shopping centre in Bayview in a white vehicle. Her body was found at an abandoned park in nearby Turnstone Avenue the following day. Her underwear was at her ankles. Hoosen’s common-law husband, Mohamed Sayed Cassim, 31, said he could not come to terms with her death.

He said around 10.30pm on Friday he watched as his wife got into a white van driven by a man at the shopping centre.

Cassim said the same man returned a short while later and picked up another woman. She jumped in the van but after five minutes she jumped out and she looked scared, said Cassim.

He said a woman found Hoosen’s body in the park and she alerted the authorities.

When Cassim arrived at the scene, Hoosen had marks on her body and neck.

“It looked like she was strangled. She also had scrape marks on her hand. I don’t know if the person dragged her body,” he said. “Her fingers were bruised. It looked like she put up a fight. And her underwear was also pulled down.”

He said Hoosen’s handbag was found a distance away from her body.

Cassim denied rumours that Hoosen was a prostitute.

He said she dated men in exchange for money.

“She had a lot of friends. We would go out with them for drinks and dinner but she never slept with them.”

Cassim said they had a drug problem and were addicted to sugars. They met three years ago.

“We worked next to each other. She worked at a clothing factory and I worked at an engineering company. But then we got into drugs and everything fell apart.”

Cassim said they moved in together and she fell pregnant after dating for a year.

But they lost their jobs and their home.

He said they were unable to care for their son and child welfare placed the child with his aunt.

Cassim said a pastor was helping them get into a drug rehabilitation centre before Hoosen’s death.

By yesterday the post-mortem had not been completed.

Anban Pillay, a friend of Hoosen, said: “On Friday morning, I told her not to do anything funny and she promised me she would not. I gave her a hug and kiss and wished her well. She was a darling of a person and had a good heart.”

Police spokesperson Captain Nqobile Gwala said an inquest docket had been opened.

She said the circumstances surrounding the incident were being investigated.

Nelson Subramoney, a member of the One South Africa Movement, said prostitution and drugs were a problem in Chatsworth.

“I urge the police to work together with community activists to rid the area of the problems. It is only hurting our people. Look at what has happened to this young woman.”

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