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Reward offered in murder of elderly Bay woman

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Nelson Mandela Bay Executive Mayor Gary van Niekerk and civil society organisations raised a reward of R20 000 for information on the murder of elderly West End resident, Sophie Erasmus.

The body of the 89-year-old was found in her St Cyprian Street home on Saturday morning by a relative.

Police said her hands were tied behind her back and she had been bludgeoned to death.

No arrests have yet been made and robbery may have been the motive.

Erasmus' murder has sent shock waves through the local community, with mayor Van Niekerk saying the reward money was raised with other organisations under the banner, "One People, One Vision: Healing Our Bay."

Van Niekerk said her murder was callous, cowardly and brutal.

Also Read: Elderly Gqeberha woman found murdered in her home

Van Niekerk said his office started the initiative in collaboration with over 700 churches to pray and take a stand against violent crime, gender-based violence, corruption, and the general moral decay of the Metro.

"It therefore comes naturally that we are entering the fray as the wave of rampant crime cannot continue unabated.
"We hope the reward will lead to the speedy arrest and successful prosecution of the culprit or culprits."

The Executive Mayor said the Metro was working hard behind the scenes to improve crime prevention, law enforcement, and the coordination of different role players from SAPS, Metro Police, private security, and community policing forums.

"Our closed-circuit TV control room is back online, and strides are being made to have a more coordinated response to crime in place in the near future," the Mayor said.