Another old age home hit

Old age homes and retirement villages are jacking up their security after yet another attack on an elderly couple in Port Elizabeth.

The latest incident occurred at the Kragga Kamma Uitspanning Retirement Village in Ralston Road, Fernglen, in the early hours of Wednesday.

The village was also hit in October, when a 64-year-old woman resident was gagged and robbed.

Police spokesperson Colonel Priscilla Naidu said in the latest incident three men broke into a cottage in the retirement village at 1.30am while the couple, who are in their 60s, were asleep.

“The woman woke up to find two suspects standing in her bedroom.

“She screamed and her husband, who was in another room, went to investigate,” Naidu said.

“But he was confronted by a third suspect in the kitchen, threatened at knifepoint and robbed of his cellphone.

“At the same time, the two other attackers stole jewellery from the woman’s bedroom.”

Naidu said the alarm was raised after the robbers fled.

“It appears that they gained entry to the house by forcing open a living room window.”

Naidu said the woman, 66, sustained minor injuries.

The Fernglen robbery follows three at the Buffelsfontein Retirement Village in Charlo in November.

Thembelani Ntantiso, 31, was arrested last week for the Buffelsfontein incidents.

Ntantiso appeared in court on Monday and will remain in jail until his December 18 bail application.

Michael de Vos, the house manager for Nazareth House near St George’s Park, said on Wednesday that he was aware of the incidents and of the security challenges facing the elderly in the Bay.

Nazareth House had consequently tightened its security.

“We have resecured our boundary wall, we have razor wire, we have increased patrols and cameras, among other initiatives.

“We are responsible for our residents and are not taking any chances,” he said.

The elderly residents at Nazareth House did not leave the property unescorted and were discouraged from walking to the nearby shops at Fiveways and urged to rather go there by vehicle.

“We are part and parcel of the community we live in, so our concerns around crime are not just about the frail and vulnerable but also the wider community.

“We would therefore appeal to local government and the police to step up and address crime,” De Vos said.

Gelvan Park Frail Aged Home spokesperson Megan January said there were no crime or security problems at the facility in Gelvan Park.

“We have good and strict security here. We are in constant contact with the police and have a 24-hour guard,” she said.

“The police conduct regular patrols around here and we have built up a good relationship with them.

“So while we have not added any new measures, we feel we are secure.”

Stella Londt Home for the Aged spokesperson Antoinette Hamman said she had confidence in the security in place at the Sunridge Park facility.

“We have a big security system in place, which includes a security company,” she said.

“The attacks on the elderly are concerning and they have definitely made us more alert.”

Malabar Home for the Aged spokesperson Angie Pillay said security had been upped at the facility.

“We have taken the appropriate measures and upped our security accordingly. And so far we have been safe,” she said.

Pillay said there had, however, been a spate of break-ins recently in an area bordering Malabar and Westering.

Ekuphumleni Old Age Home’s manager, Mike Tsietso, said that he was not aware of any attacks on the residents in old age and retirement facilities.

“We have no problems here. Everything is fine,” he said.