By Wardah Wilkinson

Tafelsig residents are mobilizing support for a 62 year old father who has been arrested for stabbing his son to death, allegedly in self-defence. According to reports from community members, his son was a drug addict and had been abusing his family for years. Police were called to the scene in Pakhuis Street in Tafelsig on Wednesday afternoon after the altercation. The man, who appeared in court on Thursday, was granted bail and will reappear in court April.

“The circumstances surrounding a murder which occurred in Pakhuis Street in Tafelsig Mitchells Plain yesterday afternoon are being investigated. It is alleged that a 28 year old man was stabbed to death by his father during an argument,” said Western Cape police spokesperson Andre Traut.

The Mitchells Plain Impact Association chairperson Joanie Fredericks said the father, Sedick Abrahams, had to endure more than a decade of physically, emotional, mental, financial abuse.

“When I arrived at the scene the police and the forensic experts was inside the house, and in the process of waiting to enter the house I spoke to neighbours and family members. They informed me of the history of abuse the father had to face on a daily bases. There have been incidents where the neighbour had to intervene by removing the son off his father, as they feared he would beat him to death,” said Fredericks.

The deceased’s drug addiction had controlled the family’s lives and has been the main reason for the father not retiring from work.

“The father came from running an errand and when he entered the house he found his son laying at a self-made bed in their small house in Tafelsig. The son in aggression confronted the father for not preparing him food. An altercation then began and the son pulled out the knife which he always carries on in him, with the intention of stabbing him. In the process while trying to remove the knife from his enraged son, the incident took place,” she explained.

Fredericks related how traumatised the father is and that he had predicted his demise by the hands of his own son.

“There is not one person who can say a bad word about this father, as he is a man who lives for his family. He is someone who goes to work hard and then returns home. He and his wife went to get a protection order last week against his son,” she adds.

The accused was granted bail yesterday, due to the community supporting him by signing a petition of more than 800 signatures to date.

“People have been saying that this situation is similar to the Ellen Pakkies case, and in the end this is not something at happened in the heat of the moment. It’s been happening for years. We as a community need to stand up against drug abuse,” said Fredericks.

The suspect will be appearing at the Mitchell’s Plain Magistrate court on 11th April. VOC