Mother, children held in Fairview body case

A middle-aged Port Elizabeth mother and her two adult children have been arrested in connection with the brutal murder of an elderly electrician, whose body was found bound, gagged and severely beaten in Fairview.

The breakthrough in the case came late on Friday after police retraced 70-year-old Petrus Scholtz’s last-known movements following his disappearance on Tuesday night.

Scholtz was found in bushes along a gravel road between Willow and Yellowwood roads in Fairview by a pedestrian at about 8am on Thursday.

He had large gashes on his head from being beaten, his hands and feet were bound, his mouth taped shut and his head was covered in clingwrap.

The 55-year-old mother, her son, 31, and daughter, 35, were arrested at their home in Woltemade Street in Kabega Park at 6.30pm on Friday.

By 10am on Saturday, police had found the company bakkie, a blue Isuzu double cab, that Scholtz had been driving

when he disappeared.

Police spokesperson Colonel Priscilla Naidu said detectives had tracked Scholtz’s last location to the Kabega Park house.

Scholtz was employed by Peter White Electrical in Summerstrand.

He is believed to have gone to the Kabega Park home , sometime after 8pm on Tuesday after receiving a call-out for a private electrical job.

Naidu said the house was thought to have been the primary crime scene and that items belonging to Scholtz were allegedly found inside.

“Why he was murdered is still unknown as the suspects still need to be interviewed,” she said.

Some of Scholtz’s belongings, including his tools, were allegedly found at the house.

She said the bakkie had been recovered in North End after the family allegedly sold it to get rid of the evidence and obtain money.

The preliminary evidence suggested Scholtz was murdered on Tuesday night and his body dumped in Fairview late on Wednesday night.

Detectives initially believed Scholtz had been hijacked, but now suspect he was the victim of a robbery plot.

Police will be perusing CCTV footage for evidence.

The three suspects have been detained at the Kabega Park police station and will appear in the Port Elizabeth Magistrate’s Court on Monday.

Additional charges may be laid against them.

Scholtz’s death came as a shock to the manageress of a Cape Road commune where he had been living for about two years.

Hilana Joubert said she had been shocked and heart-sore on hearing about the murder.

“Oom Peet was a lovely man. He was always welldressed and pleasant.”

Joubert said Scholtz had a brother who lived in Jeffreys Bay and a sister.

“His belongings are still here and the family is going to come around and pick his things up.

“I never really heard him talking about his family and so I don’t know whether he was ever married or had any children. I did not know that he was a qualified electrician.”

Joubert said Scholtz, a pensioner, had not been employed for most of the past two years.

“He only very recently got this job.

“I suppose he wanted to keep himself busy and, if I remember correctly, he has only been employed for the last two to three months.

“I do know that he was happy to have got the job and to work again,” she said.

She did not know why Scholtz had gone to the Kabega Park home and did not know whether there was any prior connection between Scholtz and the suspects.

“He kept to himself here and rarely had any visitors, except for one lady friend from time to time. This is very sad.”

Residents in Woltemade Street said two of the suspects, the mother and daughter, may have been self-employed as car guards at the nearby Metlife Plaza, but this could not be confirmed officially last night.

A supermarket employee there said he knew of a mother and daughter who lived in Woltemade Street and worked as car guards at the centre.

Provincial commissioner Lieutenant-General Liziwe Ntshinga said: “Our investigating team has been working around the clock. Their hard work has yielded results.”