Cape Town - A Panorama family is mourning the murder of their 72-year-old father, believed to have died a hero, after he was tied up and suffocated in a violent home invasion.
Husain Mukadam was laid to rest yesterday after he died in the early hours of Tuesday, when three unknown men gained entry into his home in President Brand Crescent at around 1am.
Mukadam was with his wife when the incident happened. She was also tied up but survived.
His devastated son, Mustafa Mukadam, said the suspects entered through the backyard where there was an unsecured area.
He said they jumped through three yards to get to his place.
“He wasn’t shot; what happened was that there was a major struggle,” said a grief-stricken Mustafa.
“My parents live on one side of the house, which is interconnected by a door, and my family is on the other side.
“They basically tied his arms and his feet with bed sheets and put something in his mouth.
“He was quite badly bruised. I think he may have suffocated but there were no shots or anything like that.
“When I found him, he was lying on his stomach and had his face flat on the floor.”
Mustafa said his mother managed to set herself free.
“My mom was also tied up with zip ties, she was also on the floor for five hours, waiting for me to come in.
“They didn’t scream for help because they probably didn’t want me to come from my side.
“I think my dad was a hero who knew I had three small children.
“The struggle happened, his action resulted in his fatality, he actually saved us.
“This happened between 1am and 2am, and I went into their house at 7am because my dad took my children to school every day.
“It was the school-run time, my mother heard my wife talking to my daughter and she crawled into the kitchen and untied her feet, and she came and opened the door.”
Mustafa said his father was a paraplegic after two hip replacements.
“He couldn’t really fight anyone, he was an elderly man. My parents are pensioners.”
The suspects stole a TV and TV box but Mustafa said they still needed to ascertain what else was missing from the home.
He said they had been living in the area for more than a year.
“I stayed in Parow Valley for 20 years but in the past five or six years, there was a massive change.
“This shows that you have to protect your property at all times, especially from opportunistic guys.
“I don’t believe we were targeted but this was an opportunistic crime.
“We are working people and my parents are pensioners, if this was an organised crime, they would not have waited until we fell asleep, they would have come even during the day to attack.
“These are skollies (petty criminals), there have been a lot of burglaries in the area.”
Family and friends gathered for Husain Mukadam’s janaazah, or funeral, yesterday, before proceeding to Masjid al Tuba in Panorama.
The ward councillor in Panorama, Cheryl Visser, sent her condolences to the family.
“My heartfelt condolences go out to the family and loved ones affected by this senseless crime.
“I am working closely with the SAPS, PWP Neighbourhood Watch, and other relevant authorities to ensure that every possible resource is being utilised to bring those responsible to justice.
“The safety and security of our community remain a top priority, and I will continue to advocate for enhanced measures to protect our residents,” Visser said.
Parow Community Policing Forum chairperson Shakir Smith said that housebreaking incidents happened from time to time.
“Residents should always be prepared for something that might happen, so they should always lock their doors for their own security. But I believe this was just opportunists who did this. You can’t police such cases as the murder. There is not much anyone can do other than protecting themselves at home.”
Police spokesperson Wesley Twigg said Parow officers registered murder and house robbery cases for investigation.
“According to reports, the victim and her family were asleep in their home when unknown suspects entered the premises and tied the victims up.
“The victims were found by a family member who untied them. A 72-year-old man was declared deceased by medical personnel on the scene. The cause of death forms part of the police investigation. The suspects fled the scene with a television set.”
Anyone with any information about this incident is kindly requested to contact Crime Stop at 08600 10111.