SABC 8 journalist Suna Venter dies
SABC senior radio producer Suna Venter has passed away at the age of 32.
A statement released by her family reads that her body was found in her flat in Fairlands on Thursday morning.
"She had recently been diagnosed with a cardiac condition known as stress cardiomyopathy, or Broken Heart Syndrome, believed to be caused by trauma and prolonged periods of unnatural stress," says her family.
Venter formed part of the SABC 8 who challenged the editorial decisions made at the the public broadcaster.
The group was dismissed, but was reinstated after approaching the court.
"Over the course of the past year, she received various threatening SMSes. Her flat was broken into on numerous occasions, the brake cables of her car were cut and her car’s tyres were slashed. She was shot at and abducted - tied to a tree at Melville Koppies while the grass around her was set alight," says her family.
She was also shot in the face with an unknown weapon and received surgery to remove the metal pellets from her face earlier this year.
"During the past year, she was assaulted on three occasions," says her family.
According to her family, those closest to her believe that her condition was exacerbated, if not caused, by the events of the past year.
Venter is survived by her father and mother, Phillip and Christa Venter, and brother and sister Wilhelm and Tessa.