The sleepy neighbourhood of Berea, Durban, was rocked by the gruesome murder of an elderly woman, who was stabbed to death, allegedly at the hands of unknown assailants yesterday morning at her Musgrave Road home.

The woman, who is believed to have been 65 years old, is said to have been the manager of the opulent Il Monte residential complex where she lived with her 75-year-old husband who was asleep in bed at the time of the incident.

According to witnesses, four suspects drove into the access-controlled complex, which has high walls, electric fencing, several cameras and remote-controlled gates.

“How the suspects entered the complex was not suspicious at all because they waited at the gate for someone to open for them. This happened a few moments later and four men drove in. Maybe about five minutes later the car, now with only the driver, drove out. The other three men came running out of the complex on foot just before the gate could close and then ran after the car,” said a 24-year-old man.

A police official, who chose to remain anonymous, revealed that the victim had been stabbed six times and had succumbed to her injuries before emergency medical services could arrive.

Berea police were on the scene and will be investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident.