Parow Park residents are up in arms after a homeless man was allegedly killed by a member of the neighbourhood watch who had apparently “smoked tik and went mad”.
Residents say they watched in horror as Bradley Booysen, 30, was bludgeoned in the head with a spade and stabbed to death with a screwdriver by the “enraged” patroller.
His hartseer sister, Anna, 52, explains they have been living in the council flats for more than 15 years but as her house is full, Bradley slept in the garden and was considered homeless.
She said in recent weeks, a member of the Parow Park Neighbourhood Watch found fault with him sleeping outside and regularly fought with him.
“On Sunday just after 5pm, he got into another fight with Bradley and hit him with a spade in the head and stabbed him,” says Anna.
“We went to help him, but he died and the people went mad.”
Residents say the patroller ran away and went to hide in Block 25 and police were called to the scene.
Parow Park residents at the scene where Bradley Booysen, 30, was killed Picture: Leon Knipe/A frican News Agency (ANA)
Police carried the suspect out and residents wanted to attack him, but police fired rubber bullets to fend them off.
“It was going bos here. We all wanted him because he started tikking and then went mad,” says a resident, who asked not to be named.
Police spokesperson, Captain FC van Wyk, confirms the incident and says: “A 52-year-old man was arrested and is due to appear in Bellville Court [on] Wednesday on a charge murder.
“At this stage it cannot be confirmed whether the suspect is a member of the local neighborhood watch structure in Parow Park.”
Fellow patroller Lionel Williams says the community is still in shock and confused by the murder, but says the suspect was kicked out of the watch.
“A few weeks ago he started haaking uit and we got rid of him,” says Lionel.
HARTSEER: Sister Anna Booysen, 52
“He was walking around with a neighbourhood watch card, that we don’t know where he got from and was attacking people.
“Bradley slept on the stairs, but he never caused problems and he worked for the neighbours by cleaning their gardens and so on to earn an income.
“We got rid of (the suspect) because one day a bergie was scratching in the bins and he just came and hit the guy with a brick in the face.”
Anna says they have started to collect donations to bury Bradley: “He was unmarried and just had one child in Elsies [River]. The neighbours are putting a list together for donations because we don’t have money to bury him.”
Anyone who would like to assist with the burial is asked to call Williams on 076 243 5390.