The police in KwaZulu-Natal are investigating a case of murder after a church caretaker was killed during a robbery on Sunday.
THE POLICE in KwaZulu-Natal are investigating a case of murder after a church caretaker was killed during a robbery on Sunday.
KZN VIP Protection Services spokesperson Gareth Naidoo said they were alerted to the incident by residents and church members after they made the gruesome discovery.
“The suspects tied up the elderly caretaker and (are) believed to have strangled him. Multiple valuables were taken during the robbery. Sadly, the caretaker was declared deceased.”
KZN police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Nqobile Gwala confirmed that charges of murder and burglary are being investigated by the Phoenix police after the body of a 70-year-old man was found bound and gagged.
“It was established that some items were stolen.”
There have been two church robberies in KZN in recent months.
In the first incident in July last year, armed robbers pounced on congregants during a church service at the Emmanuel Community Church in Spring Place in Tea Estate on the KZN North Coast.
Shocking CCTV footage of the robbery showed a gunman holding the pastor at gunpoint.
The armed man is then seen robbing the pastor of his valuables while he was preaching at the pulpit.
The thug is then seen unplugging a television set and walking out with it.
About 25 congregants had been present during the robbery.
In November, a pastor and some of his congregants were made to lie on the floor before being robbed by four armed suspects at their church premises in Merebank.
