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- Slain Eastern Cape physiotherapist Marolien Schmidt was honoured with a memorial service in Gqeberha on Friday.
- Schmidt was killed in her home in Richmond Hill on Women's Day.
- Hundreds of loved ones showed up to the memorial dressed in pink, Schmidt's favourite colour.
As the words of Jealous of the Angels echoed through the hall, hundreds of people sat silently in the perfectly pink decorated venue to honour the physiotherapist killed in her home in Gqeberha on Women's Day.
Marolien Schmidt, 40, was found in a pool of blood at the foot of the stairs by neighbours in the early hours of last Wednesday morning.
She had been stabbed several times and died when she arrived at the hospital.
Known for her love of pink and calling herself "The Pink Physio", friends and family paid homage to her by bringing pink bottles of nail polish, just like the ones placed outside her door the day after she was killed.
Loved ones, some dressed in pink from head to toe, others donning pink nail polish, all came to pay their respects during a memorial held for her at Slipperfields Events and Conference Venue on Friday afternoon.
READ | Suspect in murder of Marolien Schmidt has previous convictions for murder and robbery
A friend and colleague, Rebecca Gatangi, whose outfit included a pink turban and floral pink tiara, said Schmidt's presence in her life was a gift beyond measure.
"I used to wonder why our friendship was so intense. It now all makes sense as we surely did not have enough time. Your untimely departure has left a void that cannot be filled, a testament to the genuine care and companionship you bestowed upon me."
Gatangi asked all the women in the hall to stand and said this was Schmidt's army who would be preserving her legacy.
She added:
Another friend, Michelle Enslin, asked everyone to stand and "roar" Schmidt's name.
After the hall was filled with loud roars of "Marolien", Enslin said this was Schmidt's war cry because she deserved justice.
Schmidt's younger brother, Jan Schmidt, said being at the memorial and addressing everyone who loved his big sister so much, was a bittersweet privilege.
"Paying tribute to my beautiful, fun, kind and loving sister is hard, but it really touches our hearts to know just how much my sister meant to everyone."
With a nostalgic smile on his face, he mentioned how his sister, who was seven years older, could not contain her excitement when he was born.
He said she could not believe that there was another baby in the house and, even from a very young age, she was a caring person and acted like he was her baby.
'I wanted to be like her'
"She was obsessed with the new baby in the house. She used to carry me by putting her arms underneath mine and dragging me across the floor. I was a very big baby," he remembered with a smile.
"My sister had a never-give-up attitude and I always admired how she tackled the biggest challenges and always made a huge success of it. I wanted to be like her."
WATCH | Man accused of killing Gqeberha physiotherapist on Women's Day appears in court
Schmidt's brother said that he had spent the past few days clearing her office and had come across 30 goals that his sister had jotted down for herself when she turned 30 years old, 10 years ago.
They included smiling every day, complimenting someone every day, being honest, being grateful, and thinking positively.
He suddenly went quiet as the tears started to flow down his face.
"We love you, Marolien," he said with a shaky voice.
He said in tears:
He said his sister's wish was to be celebrated and not mourned.
Glasses were filled with champagne and he asked everyone to honour his sister with a "party", as she had asked.
"She loved champagne, she loved the colour pink, and it's not just a colour, it's an attitude, so let's all remember her this way," he said as Raise Your Glass by Pink starting blasted over the speakers.
A man was arrested in connection with Schmidt's murder within 24 hours.
Simxolele Zitshu will appear in the Gqeberha Magistrate's Court on Tuesday for a formal bail application.
