A 46-year-old police officer attached to the KwaDabeka Community Service Centre appeared before the Pinetown Magistrate’s Court, on 9 May, and faced murder charges after he allegedly assaulted his mother and she succumbed to her injuries.
KZN POLICE OFFICER KILLS ELDERLY MOTHER
South African Police Service (SAPS) spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Nqobile Gwala said police received a complaint about the assault of a 70-year-old woman on Friday, 6 May.
When officers arrived at the scene, at a KwaDabeka residence, they caught the suspect in the act. “…busy assaulting the victim with a plank,” said the police spokesperson.
The elderly woman sustained multiple injuries and was taken to hospital for medical treatment and unfortunately, she died.
Gwala said the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) will take over the docket and continue the investigation.
The KZN Social Development MEC, Nonhlanhla Khoza, identified the deceased as Greta Xaba and offered condolences to the bereaved family.
“It is so heartbreaking to learn about the brutal assaults of a senior citizen, resulting in her demise. It is also very hard to believe that a child can continuously abuse his mother up to this far.
“We could not even imagine that a police officer entrusted with responsibilities to protect the vulnerable would be the one involved in such a criminal act,” said the MEC.
According to the department, the mother’s helper and a child in the house during the alleged assault escaped through a window and called for help from the neighbours.
The accused reportedly abused his mother for quite some time and she always refused to open a case or talk to anyone about the abuse.
Khoza said the prolonged abuse shows that the accused “had clear intentions to kill” his mother. “We want to see him convicted for life imprisonment for his action,” she added.
A team of social workers has been dispatched to provide the Xaba family with psycho-social support