CrimeNews

Umbilo businessman devastated after third hit

An Umbilo businessman says he's reached a crossroads after his Gale Street store was burgled for the third time in less than a year.

UMBILO businessman, Kay Rai was devastated when he arrived at his Magwaza Maphalala Street (Gale Street) spare and repair shop on Monday morning, 5 August to find himself the victim of yet another burglary, the third one in less than a year.

“I broke down in tears when I looked at our huge shop window shattered and the burglar guards broken,” Rai said.

The businessman, who has persevered on the busy street where he worked for ten years before opening his own business 35 years ago, said despite an rise in the number of burglaries in recent years, this was home and he couldn’t imagine packing up and calling it a day.

“I arrived to open the shop at 7.15am and cried because I felt so helpless and heartbroken. I called the police but they never arrived,” he said.

The technically minded 68 year old said he had been in the industry a long time and enjoys what he does. He cannot imagine a life without the shop, despite his sons putting pressure on him to close shop and let them take care of him. “I love what I do, it keeps me busy even though business isn’t too good at the moment,” he said.

Last December, while a customer was paying for an appliacne, an armed man walked in and held Rai’s daughter up while they were exchanging cash. Rai managed to chase the man out the shop but he got away with the customer’s cellphone and money.

Six weeks ago, Rai’s shop was broken into but that time only a small window was broken, and burglars had taken spares and smaller items like transformers and kettles. This time however, Rai wasn’t so lucky. The thieves took a repaired air conditioner, two microwaves, a warmer tray and a vacuum cleaner, all belonging to customers. “It’s awful, I have to answer to customers, ” he said.

Rai said a security guard reported that the incident occurred at about 3am on Monday. We had to replace the window and repair the burglar guards urgently because we have customers’appliances in the shop. We could not wait till the police arrived ,” he said.

Ten calls and six hours later, the Umbilo police had still not arrived.

A worker at the shop who wished to remain anonymous said, “It is disheartening because we work so hard. It is frustrating because you just have to live with it (crime), there is nothing anybody can do.”

With a heavy heart Rai said, “I have a passion for spares and repairs and will endeavour to keep my business going at least till the end of the year, I might have to slow down and look at my options because I’m at a crossroads.”

Brian Vickery, a neighbouring businessman said he could relate and sympathise with Rai about the incident. “We have all been hit on this road. A major contributor to our crime problems are the vagrants that live a short distance away on Camberra Road. This leads to all sorts of criminal and health issues,” he added.

When contacted by the Berea Mail for comment, Umbilo SAPS Communications Officer Beverly Manqele said that the case had not been registered on their system but she went ahead and registered it herself, promising that a police officer would visit the Rai family.

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