Cape Town - Nearly 18 years after the murder of Cape Town music legend Taliep Petersen, his wife, Najwa Dirk, who is in prison for being the mastermind behind his death, has admitted to his children that she had a part in the killing by bringing a “dirty and dodgy deal” into their home, and asked for their forgiveness during parole proceedings this week.
Taliep's daughters, Fatiema Petersen, a qualified social worker, and A'eesha Petersen, were part of the Victim Offender Dialogue (VOD) in April and were called to be at an extension of the parole process held at Pollsmoor Prison earlier this week.
It became an emotional and healing moment for them where they accepted what had happened and forgave Najwa in order to set themselves free and for the sake of their baby sister, Zaynub Petersen.
They said Najwa lacked empathy and needed continuous counselling and support to help her psychologically on how to engage with others. In an exclusive interview with the Weekend Argus, the daughters said they had forgiven Najwa or Nadir, as they had fondly called her before the murder on December 16, 2006.
Najwa's family, which included her son, Sulaiman Effendi, and her siblings as well as Taliep's sister, Maatoema Groenmeyer, and her husband, Nasief Groenmeyer, were also part of the proceedings.
A'eesha said they had hugged Najwa, a moment not shared in nearly two decades and relationships had been repaired.
“Forgiveness to set myself free, to feel liberated that she does not have a hold on me, and I came into the parole room with tawakal, trust in God, He knows exactly what he is doing,” she said bravely.
“Najwa was not co-operative during the VOD in April, she never really gave us any closure, and we needed to find the closure and she was not prepared to answer, and the VOD was very different to this week.
“I did not anticipate it to go the way it did. It was healing, we embraced Najwa, hugged her, she whispered into our ears. She asked for forgiveness and she said she is really sorry and that nothing that she does can bring my dad back, but she knows that.”
A'eesha added that they had reached a breakthrough in the form of remorse and admissions.
During the murder trial, Najwa pleaded not guilty, claiming robbers had invaded their Grasmere home in Athlone and shot and killed Taliep.
“I could appreciate that, although she said she had a partial involvement in my dad's murder. I asked her if she wanted our forgiveness ... I said, ‘What exactly are you asking forgiveness for, why would you like my forgiveness?',” A'eesha said.
“She explained that it wasn't for her dodgy and dirty deal that she brought into our home, without which none of that would have happened, which I thought was very big of her.
“I felt like she felt a little protected because her family, her son, her sisters were there, that she felt more free and willing to speak. She even cracked jokes.”
Taliep's other daughter, Fatiema, said she realised now that Najwa was a broken soul who could not help herself, because she lacked empathy and needed support psychologically.
“We felt comfortable to see her as a person and to move on and that mistakes were made,” she added.
“Najwa is so scared to face reality that denial is safer. I can respect it, and it is a dark closet to go into and I pray that God guides her because she will be held accountable. We are here on Earth to learn and that is where we have empathy, because psychologically she cannot go there.
“It was a healing experience to see Nadir, as that was her familiar name, to see her as Nadir and not Najwa, and not the darkness, and I am not God.”
She said she had fought within herself whether she was making the right decision to give Najwa peace and forgiveness, and that the sisters realised it was what her father would have wanted.
“Am I forgiving and am I doing my father an injustice? I prayed about it to God and for me, forgiveness is making peace for what happened. It is reaching a full stage of grief, where you are just at ease with what happened.
“He didn't deserve to go the way he did and no way does it relinquish the value that he makes to the world, even though he is not here, and I thank him.”
A’eesha said her father was a humble man who had a lot of humility.
“Daddy, was a selfless guy, he would have forgiven Najwa, for the type of person that he was – he genuinely put the next person in front of him. I think we did that man (our father) so proud for how we handled it. We never came in guns blazing.”
Fatiema added that Taliep had even forgiven Najwa after she had stabbed him in the neck, and that the new chapter was no longer overshadowed by what took place, but that their sister (Zaynub) also needed her mother.
“There was a moment of realisation, that there is an issue, there is something wrong with Najwa, though she is physically fine, psychologically she is not, and for that reason, A'eesha and I presented her with empathy. We were on the same page with her family where we said, ‘we understand that you want her out, but there is something wrong and get her support'.
“The judicial system knows that they need to support her and we are on board supporting her because at the end of the day it is no longer about Najwa, it is about supporting my sister.
“Our lives are no longer at the end point of my father's murder. We are now at the point of continuing. Najwa is still alive and there is still a life to live.”
Fatiema added Najwa needed support to be able to see others and that they read the Criminology and Social Worker’s report during the proceedings.
A’eesha explained the community engagement in Athlone was also expected to take place in the future.
The proceedings are expected to continue later this month.
Singabakho Nxumalo, the National spokesperson for the Department of Correctional Services confirmed the parole proceedings.
“There are on-going parole consideration processes involving Najwa Petersen. Once the process has been concluded, the Department will issue an alert. “
Najwa was sentenced to 28 years after being convicted of being the mastermind behind her husband’s murder while co-accused Waheed Hassen received 25 years. Hassen, also met with the parole board in 2021.
In March 2021, eight members of the murdered music icon’s family were present at Hassen’s parole hearing.
Abdoer Raasiet Emjedi, also a co-accused, was sentenced to 24 years behind bars in 2009 and served his minimum term after being convicted of murder and robbery with aggravating circumstances.
Emjedi was released on parole in 2020.
Another co-accused, Jefferson Snyders, who was convicted of aggravated robbery and was sentenced to 10 years and acquitted of the murder, died three years ago.