Two women arrested after Gqeberha man stabbed to death in Newton Park home invasion

The arrests were made within hours of the brutal attack, prompting praise from Nelson Mandela Bay District Commissioner Major General Vuyisile Ncata. Ncata commended detectives from Mount Road SAPS for their swift response and “tireless efforts to track down those responsible”.

The trio have been charged with murder and are expected to appear in the Gqeberha Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 3 November.

The Newton Park man was stabbed to death during a house robbery in Gqeberha during the early hours of Thursday morning.

The 65-year-old victim was the second person killed during a home invasion in a few weeks in the usually quiet suburbs of Gqeberha.

The incident took place in Mangold Street, Newton Park. The man’s partner was awakened at around 2am by a loud noise inside the house.

“She went to investigate. In the passage, she was confronted by four unknown suspects. They tied her hands with cable ties, covered her head with a pillowcase and gagged her before ransacking the house and fleeing with her partner’s Nissan Juke,” said police spokesperson Captain Sandra Janse van Rensburg.

She said the woman managed to free herself after the culprits left and discovered her partner’s lifeless body.

He had been stabbed and was declared dead on the scene. His vehicle was later found abandoned in Central.

Janse van Rensburg said the name of the victim would be released after a formal identification process. She urged anyone with information that could lead to the arrest of the suspects to contact Detective Constable Israel Matiwane on 074 375 8722, or Crime Stop on 08600 10111.

Atlas Security personnel arrived on the scene shortly after the incident.

“This was a deeply tragic incident that has shaken the Newton Park community,” said the security firm.

“Our response officers were on scene within minutes and immediately coordinated with SAPS to secure the area. We urge residents to remain vigilant, ensure their alarm systems are armed at night, and report any suspicious activity immediately. Our thoughts are with the family during this heartbreaking time.”

The attack came after a student was stabbed to death at her accommodation in Summerstrand on 13 October. Another student was wounded during the attack, and the perpetrator fled with a laptop and two cellphones.

Read more: Summerstrand murder and robbery shakes Nelson Mandela Bay tourism hotspot

Last week, another Summerstrand homeowner was stabbed when he confronted two intruders who had gained access by bending open the burglar bars of a bathroom window. He survived, and the assailants reportedly fled empty-handed.

Atlas Security marketing manager Wayne Hart said that Summerstrand and Newton Park had been among the quieter suburbs in Nelson Mandela Bay, with minimal incidents reported in recent weeks, and no significant violence before the latest incidents.

Abri Pienaar, the director of Tac Net APU, a security firm whose clientele live mainly on properties and smallholdings on the western outskirts of Gqeberha, agreed that violent home invasions in the city were outside the norm.

“We have seen an increase in break-ins recently, particularly around areas like Kamma Heights. In more than one instance, the residents were asleep inside the house when intruders gained access by removing a window and ransacking the house without anyone waking up,” said Pienaar.

Citywide Security director Stephen Moore said, “Violent home invasions have been rare recently. Theft and break-ins are up, and we believe there is a small organised group targeting Kamma Heights. But we have not had an incident like the one in Newton Park for some time.”

Report suspicious activity 

Security firms and the police have urged residents to report any suspicious activity around their neighbourhoods to improve vigilance and security.

But what constitutes “suspicious activity”?

Hart said, “When reporting suspicious behaviour, it is important to explain to our operatives what the person is doing that is suspicious. Just walking through a neighbourhood is not considered suspicious.”

He said people should be clear about why they believe the person is suspicious and needed to give an accurate description of the person and their whereabouts.

Pienaar said, “Someone simply walking down the street in the middle of the day is not suspicious, as there can be any number of reasons for that person’s presence.

“However, if the person is peeping over walls, looking into cars or houses, taunting dogs — that is suspicious behaviour. If an unknown person is walking down the street at night, when everyone is asleep, or his car is parked in a place where nobody knows him, he’d better have a good explanation.” DM