An 80-year-old woman’s body was found dismembered during the weekend. Gerd Altman/Pixabay
An elderly New Germany woman was hacked to death, allegedly by her grandson over the weekend.
Police said the body of Beatrice De Lange, 80, was dismembered and the alleged killer was seen playing with the woman’s head, kicking it around the family home.
Her grandson Thabo Ntokozo Nzimande was arrested after the incident and made a brief appearance in the Pinetown Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday.
The matter was postponed for further investigation and Mr Nzimande was taken for medical check-ups.
KwaZulu-Natal Social Development MEC, Nonhlanhla Khoza, expressed her horror and sorrow over the brutal murder of an elderly woman, calling it “a stark reflection of a broader societal issue where older persons’ lives are increasingly disregarded”.
Ms Khoza said the attack was abhorrent and a reflection of the worst form of moral decline. She said the murder of De Lange was very painful and terrifying.
“The alleged dismemberment and violation of a corpse by her grandson, including the grotesque act of playing with her head, warrants an assessment of his state of mind. We cannot rule out substance abuse as a contributing factor to such a level of cruelty,” she said.
MEC Khoza called on members of society to provide support to the De Lange family during this difficult time.
“We send our heartfelt condolences to the family and neighbours of the deceased. Our team of social workers will be dispatched to provide psycho-social support to the family,” she said.
MEC Khoza also called on society to come together to put an end to such killings.
“We need to work collectively to ensure that our youth grow up with a sense of responsibility and compassion towards the elderly, preventing such horrific incidents from ever occurring again.”