Durban — The Phoenix community has been warned to be vigilant following a spate of incidents allegedly committed by vagrants in the area recently.
The warning also comes after an elderly man was stabbed multiple times in the back of his neck.
Reaction Unit South Africa (Rusa) spokesperson, Prem Balram said that an elderly man was seriously injured after he was stabbed while attempting to apprehend a robbery suspect on his property in Palmview.
Balram said that Rusa received multiple reports of an armed robbery in progress at a property on Nettlepalm Gardens at approximately 9.21am on Thursday. He said that all available reaction officers were dispatched and on arrival, established that a suspect entered the property and stole a cellphone from a 62-year-old woman.
The woman’s husband and 19-year-old grandson heard her calls for assistance and noticed the robber attempting to flee over the driveway gate.
“The teenager initially confronted the suspect but was stabbed in the leg. His grandfather attempted to prevent the suspect from fleeing over the driveway gate. The robber lunged at him and his wife with a knife before he fled over the rear fence. The elderly victim was stabbed twice in the neck. He was stabilised on the scene by paramedics from a private ambulance service before being transported to the hospital by ambulance. His grandson received first aid on the scene,” Balram said.
He added that an extensive search was conducted but no arrests were made.
KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson, Colonel Robert Netshiunda said Phoenix police were investigating the case.
“It is alleged that a woman was at her place of residence when an unknown suspect entered the premises and demanded her cellphone. The woman screamed for help and her grandson and husband came to assist her. They were both stabbed and rushed to the hospital for medical attention,” Netshiunda said.
KZN VIP Protection Services spokesperson, Gareth Naidoo said there had been two other brutal attack in the Palmview and Shastri Park areas in two days.
Over the weekend, Naidoo said, KZN VIP responded to their third incident where homeowners were brutally stabbed by drug users in the area who had stolen copper pipes, cellphones or other valuables.
“The area has been swamped with violent crime following the increasing scrapyard facilities available for these suspects,” Naidoo said adding that the suspects were believed to be drug users.
He urged the community to be vigilant in the fight against crime.
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