Cape Town - A Brooklyn family is seeking answers after their son, a brother and father of three, was brutally killed in the street on his way to a nearby spaza shop – allegedly by a group of youngsters.
Michael Cullum, 42, was walking to the shop when he was assaulted in Vasco Street.
He had just visited his son, whose birthday it was, and went to the shop to buy something. The next time his family saw him, he was non-responsive outside the spaza shop.
His sister-in-law, Chantelle Leary, said: “Just after load shedding, he walked up the road and about 10 minutes later, we were informed that he had been assaulted from Vasco Park all the way up to the shop.
“We went to the shop and were told that the group of boys were seen dragging him up the road to Koeberg Road and the boys jumped on his head. There were also bricks which were used.
“The owner of the shop had to peel two boys off him because they didn’t want to let him go. He called the ambulance and the police.”
Leary told the Cape Argus the paramedics tried to resuscitate Michael at the scene.
“We stood outside the shop for about two hours and they had to cut his clothes so they could perform CPR. Eventually, they took him to Groote Schuur Hospital; he was still unconscious and his face was swollen.”
The devastated woman said they received the dreaded call on Sunday.
“We were asked to go to hospital where we were told there was nothing they could do for him. His life support machine was switched off at 5.07pm.”
Leary said Michael’s death had left a huge hole in their family.
“The children are not doing well at all. He was supposed to come back home to celebrate the birthday with his 9-year-old child, but he never made it back home. We want justice for Michael’s death, we didn’t hear whether there were people arrested or not.”
Michael’s father Bruce, 62, said the motive for the murder was not robbery.
“It could not have been a robbery because he still had all of his belongings with him. I think people just thought that he was a drunk man when the suspects pulled him and that is why no one came to his rescue,” the grief-stricken man said.
“We’ve lived in Brooklyn for 40 years. Back then it was peaceful, we never had these kinds of incidents. Brooklyn has become a war zone and we don’t see the law enforcement, the neighbourhood watch can only do so much.
“We can’t even send the children to the shop because they get robbed. On Monday there was a stabbing incident in Justin Road. That is how bad Brooklyn has become.”
Maitland CPF chairperson Justin Kumlehn said general crime within the Brooklyn and Ysterplaat area, which falls under Maitland SAPS, is concerning.
“We are seeing an increase in attacks and they are becoming more violent. We do have a major resourcing issue at our local station as well as an issue with members reporting crime which does not help the situation of resourcing.
“The Maitland CPF recently had a fruitful engagement with our subdistrict commander, where we raised our concerns and we are hopeful that this meeting will bear fruit in the not-too-distant future.
“We have an active neighbourhood watch in the area as visibility is a major deterrent, but one of the problems they are experiencing is a lack of buy-in from the community.
“We plead with community members to join their local neighbourhood watch as this goes a long way to helping the SAPS with increased visibility in the area and deterring crimes.”
On Wednesday morning SAPS spokesperson Malcolm Pojie said Cullum was reportedly severely assaulted by two unknown suspects, and Maitland police have opened a murder case.
“This report was made by bystanders when police responded to the incident.
“In the early hours if this morning, Wednesday, 24 May 2023, with the help of metro police, detectives pounced on the residents of the two suspects and arrested them,” Pojie said.
“The duo, 15 and 18 years old, will appear in the Cape Town Magistrates’ Court for murder, once charged.”
