Cape Town - Community safety leaders and activists have called the residents to be more vigilant when it comes to suspicious characters in their areas and especially to get to know their neighbours.
This comes after a concerning trend involving the murders of elderly people between September and October.
The most recent murder saw 80-year-old pastor Dirk Muller from Parow, found tied up in his home in an apparent house robbery.
Two weeks before the body of Muller was found, 87-year-old Ellen Malan suffered the same fate, after she was found tied up and murdered in her bedroom in Mitchells Plain.
Malan's murder happened after 72-year-old Husain Mukadam was also tied up and suffocated in a violent home invasion in Panorama.
The murders have left communities in fear, especially the elderly.
A security expert from the Institute for Security Studies (ISS), Willem Els, attributed the killings to low morals.
“Criminals target the elderly because they are the most vulnerable and they also provide the least resistance to react.
“Criminals are cowards and they always take the easy way out and where their chances of success are the best, that is why elderly people are also targeted.
“It is also easier to overpower and manipulate them.”
He said it's about greed and going back to the country's morals.
“That is what makes it more sad, is that most of these old people do not even have a lot of money, but it's also an easy way to get money for these criminals.
“We've seen this happening more and more.
“We need to target the root causes of these things. We could also need to check how we calibrate our moral compass.
“We will also have to take hands with the police and restore our trust in them.”
The Parow Community Policing Forum (CPF) chairperson Shakir Smith has called on the community to become more aware of their surroundings and not be afraid to report suspicious behaviour, characters or even cars in their areas.
“We have been requesting that the community be more vigilant, to not leave their doors unlocked or open, to take off valuables from tables or places where it can be easily seen.
“We have especially asked elderly to not trust easily.”
Smith said they found that a lot of the times the criminals committing crimes are not from the area.
“This is why we are trying to teach the community that if you see someone or something suspicious, report it, make a noise about it, take note of your surroundings, even cars that come and go.
“Profile the suspicious people, what was he wearing, was he alone, the colour of his clothes and most importantly, know your neighbours and check up on them especially when they are vulnerable.”
Mitchells Plain CPF deputy chairperson Veranique “Benji” Williams said the murders has gripped he communities with fear.
“The concerns are especially coming from the seniors, because they don't know who is next, because in most cases the perpetrators are not found.”
Williams also urged the community to check up on their neighbours especially if they are senior citizens.
The crime fighter said they have reason to believe that perpetrators usually end up killing their victims especially in situations like these, when the victim knows them.
“The perp might be of the opinion that the victim might identify them that is why they end up killing them.
“This again shows the need to go back to tackling the basics of teaching the children respect.
“What happened to children running to help the old aunty with her bags? What happened to them
standing up and offering their seats in a bus? What happened to the most respectful thing of even greeting?
“I believe if those perpetrators were raised the old school way, then they would have respect for the senior citizen and we wouldn't be sitting with this.”
tracy-lynn.ruiters@inl.co.za