A visit to his grandparents’ house was like a nightmare for Johannes du Plessis.
According to a report, Du Plessis, while visiting his grandparents yesterday morning at McDonald Street in Belfast, Mpumalanga, found his badly injured 81-year-old grandmother Maria Elizabeth Berrange lying on the floor with injuries to her body.
Du Plessis also found the motionless body of his 81-year-old grandfather, Izak Johannes Berrange, lying on a chair with his body covered in blood.
Police and medical practitioners were summoned to the scene. Elizabeth was taken to hospital, where she is fighting for her life. Her husband was declared dead on the scene.
Mpumalanga provincial SAPS spokesperson Brigadier Selvy Mohlala said on further investigation it was realised that the couple’s Nissan Sentra and a .22 rifle had been stolen.
The vehicle was later recovered on Du Ploy Street.
Mohlala confirmed that the police were investigating a case of house robbery and murder.
“The SAPS in Mpumalanga strongly condemns the brutal murder and attack of the senior citizens, and urge the community to help with information that might lead to the arrest of the suspects,” said Mohlala.
Meanwhile, Mpumalanga police have reiterated the call to community members to refrain from taking the law into their own hands.
The call comes shortly after two people aged 19 and 25 were badly assaulted as they were suspected of having committed a business robbery in Dobha, Kwaggafontein C, yesterday.
The two are suspected to have entered a tuck shop in the area and asked about the whereabouts of the owner. “Information received is that the owner was not at the tuck shop at the time,” the police said.
The two allegedly returned about 20 minutes later and robbed the tuck shop assistant of a mobile phone, airtime machine and other items, at about 10.30am.
It is alleged that they further locked the tuck shop assistant inside before they fled the scene.
A case of business robbery was registered.
Mohlala said when police were still tracing the business robbery suspects, they were informed about mob justice in progress and they rushed to the scene, where they met resistance while trying to rescue two victims. However, police managed to get the situation under control at about 4.55pm and rescued the two unconscious victims.
“One of the victims succumbed to his injuries in Kwaggafontein clinic, and the second victim was later declared dead in Kwamhlanga hospital,” Mohlala said.
A murder case was registered and police have launched an investigation.
He said police wanted to remind citizens that mob justice was never a solution, and they called upon community members to report wanted suspects to the authorities.