Hazel Crane
Encyclopedia
Hazel Crane was a prominent socialite
, businesswoman and posthumous memoirist in South Africa
. She was assassinated on 10 November 2003 near her mansion home in the plush Northern Johannesburg
suburb of Abbotsford, the same suburb where controversial mining magnate Brett Kebble
was murdered later in 2005
, Northern Ireland
, she emigrated to then Rhodesia
as a child and later to South Africa in adult life. In South Africa she was involved in several philanthropic committees and projects, such as the educational sponsorship of poor students.
. The couple already had one child, and at the time of her husband's death, Crane was pregnant with their second child. She later had a tumultuous marriage with alleged Israeli mafia boss Shai Avissar. At the time of his murder in 1999, the couple were estranged.
She was a close friend of Winnie Mandela, who attended her funeral and was the chief witness in her wedding to Avissar. Crane accompanied Mandela during her hearings before the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
member Lior Saat, accused of murdering Crane's estranged husband near Sunninghill, Gauteng
in 1999. Crane had been traveling with a female companion, who was shot in the hand, but police determined that the incident was a "direct attack" on Crane's life, who was shot in the head, leg, chest and arm. It later emerged that Crane had been expected to testify in the murder case against Saat and a source close to Crane said that she knew too much, being able to identify and implicate a number of figures in the Saat murder case. She was the third state witness in the Saadt murder trial to be murdered; Julio Bascelli was shot in the head in a deserted garage soon after Avassi's death in 1999 and Carlo Binne was shot dead at the Gecko Lounge, a Johannesburg nightclub, in April 2001.
Prior to her death, Crane was working with a British journalist, David Kray on her memoirs. The biography, Hazel Crane: Testimony from Beyond the Grave received a posthumous release in 2004 and contained several shocking details about the socialite's colourful past. The book details Crane's own secret life of crime. She made her fortune by smuggling diamonds and emeralds, making blackmarket currency deals, owning a striptease joint and selling hard-core pornography. She also tells of how she would tuck emeralds into her beehive hairdo or pack them into her son's nappies for smuggling. Prior to a crime career, she trained as a State Registered Nurse in Rhodesia and in later life was an active businesswoman.
Socialite
A socialite is a person who participates in social activities and spends a significant amount of time entertaining and being entertained at fashionable upper-class events....
, businesswoman and posthumous memoirist in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. She was assassinated on 10 November 2003 near her mansion home in the plush Northern Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
suburb of Abbotsford, the same suburb where controversial mining magnate Brett Kebble
Brett Kebble
Roger Brett Kebble was a South African mining magnate with close links to factions in the ruling political party, the African National Congress. He was shot to death in 2005 by unknown assailants....
was murdered later in 2005
Early life
Born as Hazel Elizabeth Magee in BelfastBelfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
, she emigrated to then Rhodesia
Rhodesia
Rhodesia , officially the Republic of Rhodesia from 1970, was an unrecognised state located in southern Africa that existed between 1965 and 1979 following its Unilateral Declaration of Independence from the United Kingdom on 11 November 1965...
as a child and later to South Africa in adult life. In South Africa she was involved in several philanthropic committees and projects, such as the educational sponsorship of poor students.
Later life
Crane was previously married to Anthony Crane, although he was killed at age 25 in combat in the Rhodesian Bush WarRhodesian Bush War
The Rhodesian Bush War – also known as the Second Chimurenga or the Zimbabwe War of Liberation – was a civil war which took place between July 1964 and December 1979 in the unrecognised country of Rhodesia...
. The couple already had one child, and at the time of her husband's death, Crane was pregnant with their second child. She later had a tumultuous marriage with alleged Israeli mafia boss Shai Avissar. At the time of his murder in 1999, the couple were estranged.
She was a close friend of Winnie Mandela, who attended her funeral and was the chief witness in her wedding to Avissar. Crane accompanied Mandela during her hearings before the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
Death and legacy
Crane was shot dead in her car in November 2003, while traveling to the Johannesburg High Court to attend the trial of alleged Israeli mafiaIsraeli mafia
The Israeli mafia is the general term for organized crime groups operating in Israel and also internationally. Allegedly there are 16 crime families operating in Israel, five major groups active on the national-level, and 11 smaller organizations...
member Lior Saat, accused of murdering Crane's estranged husband near Sunninghill, Gauteng
Sunninghill, Gauteng
Sunninghill is a commercial and residential suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa. It is located in Region 2. The N1 freeway, which at this area is eight lanes across, forms its southern boundary with access at Rivonia offramp. A new road, the K60, has been built through the centre of Sunninghill to...
in 1999. Crane had been traveling with a female companion, who was shot in the hand, but police determined that the incident was a "direct attack" on Crane's life, who was shot in the head, leg, chest and arm. It later emerged that Crane had been expected to testify in the murder case against Saat and a source close to Crane said that she knew too much, being able to identify and implicate a number of figures in the Saat murder case. She was the third state witness in the Saadt murder trial to be murdered; Julio Bascelli was shot in the head in a deserted garage soon after Avassi's death in 1999 and Carlo Binne was shot dead at the Gecko Lounge, a Johannesburg nightclub, in April 2001.
Prior to her death, Crane was working with a British journalist, David Kray on her memoirs. The biography, Hazel Crane: Testimony from Beyond the Grave received a posthumous release in 2004 and contained several shocking details about the socialite's colourful past. The book details Crane's own secret life of crime. She made her fortune by smuggling diamonds and emeralds, making blackmarket currency deals, owning a striptease joint and selling hard-core pornography. She also tells of how she would tuck emeralds into her beehive hairdo or pack them into her son's nappies for smuggling. Prior to a crime career, she trained as a State Registered Nurse in Rhodesia and in later life was an active businesswoman.
External links
See also
- Whites in ZimbabweWhites in ZimbabweWhite Zimbabweans are people from the southern African country Zimbabwe who identify themselves as white...
- Whites in South AfricaWhites in South AfricaWhite South African is a term which refers to people from South Africa who are of European descent and who don't regard themselves, or are not regarded as being part of another racial group, for example, as Coloured...
- Crime in South AfricaCrime in South AfricaCrime is a prominent issue in South Africa. South Africa has a high rate of murders, assaults, rapes, and other crimes compared to most countries. Many emigrants from South Africa state that crime was a big factor in their decision to leave...