Reporter – George April
Cape Town:-A grieving Belhar family has suffered a double tragedy after 26-year-old mother Thamlyn Clarke was shot and killed outside her home on Tuesday night in De Waal Drive.
Tammy, as she was affectionately known, was sitting inside a friend’s car,playing music from a phone, while her boyfriend, brother, and friends stood outside, leaning against the wall.
Her mother, Evelyn Clarke, still in shock, recalled the chilling moment that changed their lives forever.
Targeted Execution
“A car pulled up, and a man got out, claiming he was lost,” Evelyn explained. “When Tammy rolled down the window, he pulled out a gun and shot her four times before getting back into the car and driving off with the phone.”
Tammy’s murder comes just four months after her father took his own life, leaving the family in deep mourning once again.
Adding to the heartbreak, Evelyn revealed that her daughter had been a rape survivor. In 2022, she was assaulted by an alleged notorious gangster and had been attending court hearings for the past three years.
“Today was supposed to be the final court date. This was a hit. They shot her in the neck. I don’t know where else, but I saw the wound in her neck. Why would they kill her? Tammy was a people’s person, she wasn’t someone who walked around causing trouble,” Evelyn said, convinced that her daughter’s murder is linked to the rape case.
Tammy leaves behind a nine-year-old daughter.
Murder Investigation Underway
Police spokesperson Warrant Officer Joseph Swartbooi confirmed that Belhar police are investigating the case.
“Detectives responded to a crime scene in De Waal Drive where a woman was shot and killed on Tuesday, 25 March 2025, at approximately 20:50,” Swartbooi said.
“Preliminary investigations indicate that unknown gunmen fired multiple shots at a female seated inside a motor vehicle. Medical personnel declared her deceased on the scene.”
The suspects fled in a white Toyota Etios and remain at large.
Authorities are urging anyone with information to contact Crime Stop at 08600 10111 or use the My SAPS mobile application anonymously.
