Following
yet another murder of an elderly person in Zingqolweni locality, formerly Lady
Frere, provincial police commissioner Lieutenant General Liziwe Ntshinga has
ordered a 72-hour activation plan.
Police
provincial spokesperson, Brigadier Tembinkosi Kinana, said according to the police’s current information a neighbour of the deceased 71-year-old man
heard the barking of dogs.
Upon investigation, Kinana said, he saw a suspicious
man leaving the house. “Police were summoned and on arrival they found the
deceased with multiple stab wounds on his upper body, with his throat slit,”
Kinana said.
This
brings the total number of murdered elderly people to 14 since December 2020. The
murdered people are elderly, mostly women living alone.
In April of this year six young men, aged
between 21 to 27, were killed in what could be seen as revenge by the community.
Speaking on the
recent murder, Kinana said the circumstances surrounding the incident were
currently being investigated. A case of murder has been opened.
Said
Kinana: “Eastern Cape Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Liziwe
Ntshinga, has ordered a 72-hour activation plan to mobilise all necessary
resources for effective investigation and speedy arrest of the suspect(s). Ntshinga has further called an urgent meeting with all the
operational commanders in order to work out a plan to deal with the situation at
Zingqolweni as part of amplifying SAPS efforts in that area.”
Kinana
said anyone with information that can lead to the arrest of those responsible
for the murder is requested to contact Cacadu police or call Crime Stop number
08600 10111.
“Information will be treated with the strictest confidentiality,”
Kinana said.
