SOMERSET WEST – The family of the late Nicolette Overbeek gathered at her home to honour her memory, marking one month since the tragic shooting that claimed the life of the beloved mother, daughter and sister.
The memorial took place at Overbeek’s Winery Road residence in Somerset West, the same place where the 43-year-old was fatally shot on Tuesday 28 October.
ALSO READ: “Young mother gunned down in driveway of Somerset West home,” DistrictMail & Helderberg Gazette, 28 October.
Family members, including Overbeek’s parents Angela (60) and James Page (65), sisters Diana (44) and Andrea Page (38), and sister-in-law Carmen Page (49), created a touching tribute at the gate to the driveway where their loved one was killed. They adorned the entrance with flowers, photographs, and her favourite Bible verse, Psalm 84:11.
A longtime employee, Anthony Zulu who worked as Overbeek’s gardener for 15 years was also present and described their relationship as transcending typical employer-employee boundaries. The gardener, visibly emotional during the interview, revealed the profound impact she had on his life.
“She wasn’t just my employer – she was like my mother or my sister,” the gardener explained, emphasising how Overbeek treated them with familial warmth rather than as a mere staffer.
He began working for Overbeek when she first moved to the property and faithfully continued for a decade and a half. When asked about their favourite memories, he struggled to articulate the depth of the loss, saying: “She did so much for me… It wasn’t like she was my boss – we were like family.”
The emotional toll of her tragic death remains overwhelming for the dedicated worker, who admitted: “Even today, my heart is broken… It’s very difficult to forget. It will take time to forget this.”
Overbeek’s sister Andrea painted a heartbreaking picture of a family torn apart by grief and frustration with the justice system as they wait for the wheels to turn. She detailed the severe toll the tragedy has taken on each family member, particularly their mother’s deteriorating mental health.
“Mom is not coping… She has to take anxiety tablets every night since we lost my sister, and sleeping tablets just to get some sleep,” she explained, adding that the entire family is struggling with basic functions like eating and concentrating on work tasks.
She shared fond memories being testament to their incredibly close bond through their shared love of karaoke. “Every weekend we’d be here doing karaoke,” she recounted.
Overbeek’s father James opened up about his family’s devastating loss during the intimate gathering. Speaking with visible pain, he described the profound impact her murder has had on their close-knit family unit.
“For a father, losing your daughter and not being able to do anything about it – it’s an excruciating feeling,” he said, explaining how the family organised the 30th-day commemoration because “we miss her so much”.
Regarding Overbeek’s two surviving children, he revealed that her teen daughter and 12-year-old son is coping with the devastating loss despite the trauma.
While acknowledging that “nothing can ever bring my daughter back”, the bereaved parent expressed hope that justice will prevail rather than seeing her case “going by the wayside and being forgotten like so many others”.
The family previously disclosed that Overbeek had been living in fear due to ongoing safety concerns as an alleged victim gender-based violence. It has emerged that Overbeek allegedly filed domestic violence charges against her estranged husband at Somerset West Police Station in February 2024, while her family members also opened several related cases.
Andrea expressed deep anger at systemic failures that she believes contributed to Overbeek’s death. “The justice system failed her when she was alive. She went to the police station numerous times over the years, and they failed her – even though she had interim protection orders,” she said, emphasising that authorities are still failing her late sister because “this should be an open-and-shut case”.
“We need justice so my parents can at least rest and start the grieving process,” she pleaded, explaining that the family cannot begin healing until there’s resolution.
The grieving father concluded with a public appeal for assistance, saying: “If anybody out there has any information that can help, I welcome that. They can contact police anonymously.”
He emphasised that going public with their daughter’s story serves this crucial purpose – encouraging anyone with knowledge to come forward and help bring closure to the family.
On enquiry, Somerset West police maintained the murder investigation is ongoing and has reached a critical phase, with detectives actively pursuing leads to apprehend potential suspects. However, no arrests have been made as yet.
