One man has been arrested after an elderly Parow Valley couple was bludgeoned to death during a house robbery on Monday, Cape Town police said.
The traumatised family of 76-year-old Betsy and 72-year-old Pieter Senekal were informed that burglars had broken in through the roof of the couple’s home in Market Street.
It is believed that the bodies were discovered after a neighbour noticed the hole in the roof and upon investigating found Betsy lying in one of the rooms.
Their niece 55-year-old Wilma Coetzee said she was at work when she received the devastating phone call.
“Aunty Betsy is my father’s sister and he is in Uitenhage. He called me to say what had happened and myself and my husband rushed all the way from Gordon’s Bay,” Coetzee said.
“We were told that it was a very gruesome scene and that both of them had head injuries which they think was caused by a blunt object. They confirmed the perpetrators gained access through the roof and some of the items in the home were missing.”
Police spokesperson, warrant officer Joseph Swartbooi, confirmed the incident.
“Parow police responded to a complaint on Monday. Upon their arrival in Market Street at around 8.30am, they found the bodies of a male and a female. The motive for this attack is house robbery,” Swartbooi said.
According to a Daily Voice source, cops went on the hunt for the burglars and arrested one man so far.
“They caught him on the same day and he was taken to Parow [SA Police Station] SAPS. He is a known drug addict and thief in the area and the cops also found the TV and groceries stolen from the house,” a source said.
Swartbooi confirmed the arrest and said the investigating officer went the extra mile.
“His dedication was rewarded when a 27-year-old man was arrested. The possibility that more arrests can be made are not excluded,” Swartbooi said.
Coetzee said the family was struggling to come to grips with the horrific manner in which the couple were murdered.
“Tannie Betsy had worked for Telkom all the years and Oom Pieter worked at Standard Bank,” Coetzee said.
“They lived very peacefully and were grandparents to many children. The have a daughter who lives in Canada and she is now on her way home after hearing what happened.”
Ward councillor Franchesca Walker said the incident left the entire community shocked and terrified.
“There are many elderly residents living in the area and some are even now scared to leave their parents at home during the day,” Walker said.
Daily Voice