Cape Town - The police are investigating a domestic violence-related murder case following the death of a 47-year-old woman from Browns Farm in Philippi on Sunday.
The woman was allegedly killed by her son following a brief argument, and her body was discovered in the morning by neighbours.
Police spokesperson FC Van Wyk said the suspect, who was arrested on the same day, will appear in the Athlone Magistrate’s court once charged.
“A 31-year-old suspect has been arrested after an argument and assault on a 47-year old woman early on Sunday morning on Dyala Crescent in Philippi Browns Farm.
“She died due to injuries sustained. Nyanga police are investigating a murder (domestic violence-related) case,” he said.
Community leader Ncebakazi Dulaza said the incident had sent shock waves through the community.
“While we do not have intimate knowledge of what transpired and the circumstances that led to her death, we believe this needs to be condemned strongly. It is never acceptable to even lay a hand to someone you call a parent, let alone ending up killing them.
“This is not something we promote as a community, and such people are a disgrace in our community. We hope the arrest sends a strong message to whoever thinks abusing their parents in any form is acceptable,” she said.
Researcher Lisa Vetten said while more focus was put on the murder of women by their intimate partners, family violence was not emphasised enough in South Africa.
“Family violence takes various forms in South Africa, the most common being child abuse and men’s violence towards their intimate female partners. But If you look at protection orders, about a quarter of them are applied for by family members, including older parents seeking protection from their adult children, siblings seeking protection from one another, as well as family members seeking protection from uncles and cousins.
“One of the reasons we overlook family violence is the tendency to assume that nuclear families are the dominant family form in South Africa. We forget that South Africa has a diverse range of family arrangements, and so don't ask what happens in extended families. Conflicts between family members are often struggles over household resources (such as food, money, possessions and even the house itself).
“They are also no less gendered than intimate partner violence. Perpetrators such as uncles, brothers and sons frequently think they are entitled to more than other (female) members of the household, as well as entitled to make the major decisions in the household,” she said.
Vetten said substance abuse, which caused enormous upheaval, was also a feature of family violence, as were mental health difficulties. She said families were not often given the kind of support they needed in such difficult situations.