Victim repeatedly stabbed and left for dead. A 48-year-old man was killed after sustaining multiple stab wounds to his back, chest and neck on Friday night 4 March, in Cottonlands, Verulam.
A resident of Cottonlands contacted the Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA) Operations Centre after discovering the victim’s blood soaked body. RUSA spokesperson, Prem Balram, said Reaction Officers and paramedics were immediately dispatched and on arrival found the man lying on the road. “Upon examination, he was found to have been stabbed 17 times. He showed no signs of life and was declared deceased at the scene. The motive for the murder was not established,” Balram said. The growing number of stabbings has left the community of Verulam in shock and in a constant state of fear for their wellbeing and their families. Rachel Wilkin, a resident of Verulam, said the increase of armed attacked is very concerning. “Most of our residents are not equipped to retaliate and feel helpless. We are dealing with so much frustration with the rising costs of living, poor service delivery, the pandemic and this present air of lawlessness that seems to be creeping into our communities is demoralising.”
She believes that the attacks are a result of a number of factors. “The lack of employment or meaningful occupation and widespread poverty tends to make people feel powerless. Some are pushed into illiciteconomic activities just to survive. Others seek the glorification of thug life often seen in the music industry. I also strongly believe that the breakdown of families and the lack of positive male role models has a detrimental effect on our society and the manner in which young men demonstrate ‘authority’ and resolve disputes.” The recent stabbing of a learner from a school in Verulam also has the community on edge about the safety of their children. “As a parent, that is terrifying. Schools are supposed to offer a safe space for our children. I think a lot of parents are also relying on schools to recognise and address problematic behaviour, bridging access to social welfare and counselling services. Schools need to have a system in place where children are monitored and offered opportunities to address their concerns, not just written off as ‘bad’. Hopefully this will alert school authorities to the potential conflict and intervene timelessly.”
Wilkin said there is a growing concern among residents to have more measures in place to control crime. “Our community initiatives cannot be employed to address the recent surge in violent crime and more visible policing is required. SAPS is the recognised authority and their mere presence can be a powerful deterrent. It will go a long way to restoring feelings of safety and security in communities.” The communications officer for the South African Police Service in Verulam, Captain Henry Kisten, said: “We can confirm that a 48-year-old man was stabbed repeatedly and succumbed to his injuries. Events leading to his death are still unclear. The case is currently under investigation. We need witnesses to constantly report these violent crimes to the police. The more information we have the better it becomes for us to make breakthroughs in our investigations.” Crimes can be reported to the Verulam police station on 032-541-5200/06.
