Wife of millionaire businessman was killed on their honeymoon in South Africa after the taxi they were travelling in was ambushed by armed men in Cape Town

NRI's wife killed in SA honeymoon

Wife of millionaire businessman was killed on their honeymoon in South Africa after the taxi they were travelling in was ambushed by armed men in Cape Town

Anni Dewani (28) and her husband of two weeks, Shrien Dewani (30), had been to a popular nightspot in one of the city's townships and were thought to be returning home around 11 pm on Saturday night when two men armed with handguns forced the driver out of the car and drove away with them inside.

The newlyweds, who lived in Bristol, were driven for roughly an hour before the robbers pushed Dewani out of the car and drove off with his wife.

He was picked up by a passing motorist who took him to a police station. The police launched a search and, around 7 am, found the car abandoned a short distance from where the man had been dropped, with the woman's body on the back seat.

The police have not yet said how she died, but unconfirmed reports suggested that she may have been shot.
The couple, who runs a nursing home business, had only arrived in the city for their honeymoon on Friday.

Kin shocked
Their families set up a shrine at Dewani's house after being told of his wife's death. His brother, Preyen, said: "We are devastated. We are still in shock."

Alan Winde, Western Cape tourism minister, said the case was "absolutely shocking". "My information is that the couple was at an evening function outside the city in the Winelands area," he said.

"They were returning to the city around 10 pm when they asked their driver to take them to a popular hot spot in the Gugulethu area."

He said what happened when they left was "very disturbing and horrendous for the husband". "His wife was found this morning, just after 7 am," he added.

The police are interviewing her husband in a bid to identify their attackers, and have appealed to the communities of the Cape Flats townships to come forward with any information.

Booming town
The Gugulethu township, which is around 10 miles from Cape Town, has a population of more than 80,000. It is home to a number of thriving restaurants and nightspots, including Mzoli's butchery where tourists and locals can buy meat and then cook it on open braai or barbecues.

It also has live music and DJs playing dance music late into the night. Despite its popularity, it has a reputation for rowdiness and is often the scene of drunkenness.

Serious attacks on visiting foreigners are rare with most victims of violence living in the township areas. Authorities in the Western Cape have urged visitors to be cautious.

A spokesman for the Western Cape Provincial Management said: "We would like to issue a stern warning to visitors in our province, and locals alike to exercise caution and be vigilant when entering an unfamiliar area and be prepared for danger."

Crime statistics

South Africa ranks second for assault and murder and first for rapes among 60 countries, according to a survey conducted by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. In toto, South Africa ranks 10 out of the 60 countries