A WOMAN who was murdered by her husband and set alight two days ago was yesterday described as a loving and caring mother.
Mere Logasomo's children said she sacrificed her marital happiness for her eight offspring.
Her daughter, Miliana Rokoleqe, shed tears as she described her mum's love, commitment and dedication towards her children.
Ms Logasomo, 54, was allegedly murdered by her husband Josateki Rakaba, 60, at Navetau settlement in Vunilagi, Cakaudrove on Thursday afternoon.
After allegedly killing his wife, Mr Rakaba hung himself.
The two were living separately for more than a year and Ms Logasomo was at their son Jolame Rakaba's house when the incident happened. "Our mother grew up in a broken family and she didn't want what happened to her as a child to happen to her children," said Ms Rokoleqe.
"She lived through hell with our dad, sacrificing her happiness for us. She would get a beating every week but she never walked out of the house because she thought of her children.
"We even saw her being beaten up and our dad never cared whether the children were in the house or not.
"It resulted in us growing up with fear in our own home."
Ms Rokoleqe said she remembered her mother crawling out of the house whenever she was beaten by her father and telling them to be strong and work with her in keeping the family together.
She said her mother only waited for all her children to complete their education, find jobs and settle down before she could move out.
She said her mother moved out of her home during the Easter weekend last year to stay with her at Waisere settlement.
"My mum moved in with me after my dad ran after her with an axe on a Sunday afternoon when she returned from church,"," said Ms Rokoleqe.
"When we started living our own lives and had our families, we just told mum to leave our dad because she has faced domestic violence for more than 40 years.
"It's sad though that our dad continued with his ill-treatment even after separation and whenever he saw my mum, he tried to grab and hit her or threaten her."
Emele Baleinarawa, another daughter, said her mum was having lunch at Jolame's home when her dad walked in on Thursday.
Ms Baleinarawa said her dad greeted her mum and they shook hands and started talking.
"While they were talking, my brother (Jolame) told them to discuss their problem because they had been separated for more than one year," she said.
"While they were talking, my brother, his wife and my niece were sitting there as well and they heard my father ask my mother whether she would return to him.
"When my mum told my dad that she would never return to him, he pulled the kitchen knife lying on the table and stabbed her."
Ms Baleinarawa said her mother dodged the first stab but her father stood up and stabbed her several times on her stomach and chest.
"My brother tried to stop him but my dad was a big guy so my brother couldn't do anything and he ran to the road with his wife and my niece, afraid that my dad would do something to them,."
"We are so shocked that this has happened. My dad spilled benzene on my mum's body and burnt her," said Ms Baleinarawa.
Police spokeswoman Ana Naisoro said police were investigating the incident.