Manenberg is in shock after a 15-year-old boy was arrested for the murder of Ruwayda Omar, 75.
Ms Omar was stabbed more than 100 times on Sunday November 22 – just days before the launch of the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children Campaign.
The suspect is known to the family.
According to Manenberg police spokesman, Captain Ian Bennett, Ms Omar’s son, Maghdien Omar, called the police after he found his mother’s half-naked body in a bedroom of her Elsieskraal Street house, at noon on Monday.
Mr Omar stays in a wendy house on the property.
An autopsy had identified a screwdriver as the murder weapon, said Captain Bennett, adding that further tests would be done to determine whether the victim had been raped.
There had been no signs of forced entry or a robbery at the house, he said.
Neighbours had reported seeing the suspect on the roof of Ms Omar’s house, and when investigators had spoken to him, he had shown them a piece of the dead woman’s clothing and the location of the screwdriver believed to be the murder weapon, Captain Bennett said.
“He has, however, not admitted to killing her as he says he cannot account for that part of the incident.”
The teen appeared in the Athlone Magistrate’s Court on Monday November 23 on a charge of murder. The case was postponed to Wednesday December 23, and the accused was remanded to a juvenile detention centre in Oudtshoorn.
Captain Bennett said neighbours claimed the boy had been abusing drugs for a long time, and when police had found him he had been behaving irrationally.
“We assure the Manenberg community that we will get to the bottom of this and justice will be served. We ask them to come forward with information.”
The police were compiling a confidential database of all seniors in the area, especially those living alone, to assist with their protection, he said.
Manenberg Community Safety Forum chairwoman, Roegshanda Pascoe, said Manenberg had had enough crime and gang violence and residents were struggling to come to terms with the death of the senior citizen.
“We need to constantly check in on our elderly to make sure that they are okay as they are just as vulnerable as our children. Seniors can sometimes be independent and stubborn, but we must take care of them.”
She added: “The community cannot accept this death of this God-fearing woman.”
The community held a prayer meeting at Ms Omar’s house on Monday evening November 23, following her burial at the Johnston Road cemetery.
Manenberg ward councillor Aslam Cassim said he had met Ms Omar just days before her death and he had been saddened to learn of her murder.
“I was there the Friday to check up on issues she had with rental stock, and I saw her and we had a nice chat… We will be pursuing awareness campaigns across the area to highlight the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children, and also give youth and men the necessary skills to handle the challenges of life in a healthy way.