Sisters Amelia Hope, 6, and Elena Faith, 4, were laid to rest at the Verulam Crematorium yesterday
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Mourners gathered at two separate funerals yesterday, that of Leon Munusamy, a Tongaat father, and the other of his two young children, Amelia Hope, 6, and her sister Elena Faith, 4, whose lives he had taken.
The funerals held separately, reflected the sorrow and complexity of a family torn apart by tragedy.
At True North Church, family and friends shared heartfelt memories as they bid farewell to the young girls, who were described as bright lights in the lives they touched.
The atmosphere was shrouded in anguish as tributes poured, painting a picture of innocence, laughter, and love.
While the funeral service for their father was held at AFM Church in Tongaat.
Amelia and Elena were allegedly poisoned, with their bodies discovered by a private security company after their mother, Nicole, grew concerned when the girls did not attend school on Tuesday.
The girls had been with their father, whose body was found nearby in the residence on Sastri Circle in Belvedere, Tongaat, a scene that has left the community struggling to comprehend the tragedy.
It has been speculated that Munusamy and his wife were separated.
At the funeral for the children, their cousin Carmel Leigh described them as affectionate and loving amongst everyone.
Carmel Leigh she spoke of Amelia as a bright and beautiful soul who brought endless love, laughter and most importantly the light she was in every single life she was present in.
"From the time Amelia was born she had a special way of bringing everyone together. The room always felt lighter and everything else didn't seem to matter. She had a special way of making the world seem warmer simply just being in it.
"Amelia loved playing games and watching YouTube vlogs and found happiness in simple joys and constantly reminding her mum that she loves her and misses her even when she was next to her. She also loved helping Pretty with the chores. Although her time with us was way too short to comprehend, Amelia had an impact on every single person in this room. She touched the lives of people and will forever be remembered for her infectious smile, kind nature, gentleness and loving heart."
She said in Elena Faith's short but beautiful life, she filled their world with a light that would never fade.
"She was a precious gift from the beginning. Her laughter was soft and joyful. Her smile pure sunshine and her tiny hands somehow held so much love that was always enough for everyone. She found wonders in the simplest things like finishing all the cooldrink, following mum everywhere and giving her kisses on her hand every five minutes.
"Elena had a gentle spirit and a tender heart. Even at her age she loved deeply and was deeply loved in return. Though her time here was far too brief, the love she gave us will last a lifetime. We will forever cherish her warm cuddles, her quiet bravery and the beautiful way she saw the world. She will always be our little light, sweetest blessing and our angel."
In a tribute read on behalf of the children's mum, Nicole, she said: "To us these beautiful little girls were not just Amelia and Elena, but hope and faith and in every sense of the word their lives reflected these anchoring principles that we are required to live by everyday."
She said little Faith burst into this world with her feistiness that was her sure fire way of making sure that she would be the fierce protector and playmate of her older sister.
"Whilst Hope possessed a quiet spirit which was what we saw and what we knew, Faith made sure we knew when she was around, always boldly made us aware of her presence. Much like what hope and faith should look like in our everyday lives. Internal hope and an external faith put on display.
"Faith took being her sister's keeper to incredible levels and loved fiercely. Whilst their personalities are vastly different, Faith always wanted the same everything as Hope so inevitably this meant that the house was almost full with two of everything. Even at these tender ages, sister sister became a frequent phrase in the house, and now echoes in heaven.
"As for our Hope what she carried was tested a few times and with each new challenge our Hope always reminded us to have hope. Hope's steadfast and resilient spirit caused all of us around her to always remain hopeful and keep the faith," concluded Nicole's message.
Richard Maistry, the children's God father and family friend, said when the devastataing news broke this week about the death of the girls, he believes every parent who heard about it felt a pain that cannot be described, whether you knew them or not.
"The community has spoken and the outpouring of love shows how deeply they were cherished. We as a family are still reeling from the shock with unbelief but in the days to come God will give us peace," said Maistry.
On Friday evening the Tongaat community gathered for a night vigil at the Belvedere Unity Park in honour of the young girls.