A 77-year-old Limpopo woman was allegedly beaten to death by her son after she told him to turn down the music on the radio.
A 77-YEAR-old woman was allegedly beaten to death by her 37-year-old biological son at their house at Ga-Mampa Village, under the Mecklenburg policing area, outside Sekhukhune in Limpopo.
The brutal incident happened on Sunday night, according to Limpopo provincial police spokesperson Brigadier Hlulani Mashaba.
“It is alleged that the victim (the woman) was with her 17-year-old grandson when the suspect (her son) arrived and played music loudly. The elderly woman tried to reprimand her son but he became aggressive and started physically attacking her,” said Mashaba.
The grandson tried to intervene but he was also assaulted.
The 17-year-old ran to the neighbours’ houses to call for assistance.
The police were summoned to the scene and upon arrival they found the elderly mother lying unconscious on the floor.
According to the police, she was bleeding heavily.
“The victim (the mother) had also sustained injuries throughout her body. She was certified dead on the scene by the medical emergency services personnel,” said Mashaba.
The woman’s 37-year-old son had already fled the scene before the police arrived.
The police have opened a case of murder.
The provincial commissioner of police in Limpopo, Lieutenant-General Thembi Hadebe, has strongly condemned the “continuous” acts of gender-based violence perpetrated against elderly persons in the province.
Hadebe also expressed “deep concern”, emphasising the need for a thorough investigation and for justice to prevail.
She urged the community to refrain from violent acts when faced with domestic challenges but to resolve their issues amicably.
The police appealed to anyone with information that can assist in their investigation to contact Crime Stop on 086001 0111, the nearest police station or use the MySAPS app.
Investigations are still continuing.
On Monday, it was reported that a KwaZulu-Natal man accused of killing his elderly mother and then living with her corpse for three nights, apparently tried to plan a memorial lunch for her a day before he was arrested.
The 33-year-old was arrested on Friday in Hazelmere. A source has since revealed that the day before his arrest, the accused contacted a well-known eatery on the Durban beachfront and asked if he could arrange a get-together in memory of his mother.
According to Reaction Unit SA’s Prem Balram, an off-duty police officer was called for assistance after a homeowner discovered the 72-year-old woman’s body in a room.
The accused had been renting a room on the landlord’s property.
Balram said other residents claimed that the woman was last seen on Tuesday last week.
