An opposition party councillor in the West Rand District Municipality had a harrowing experience last weekend. According to Mr Leroy Legabe, an EFF councillor, he arrived at his home at the Welverdiend smallholdings at about 00:30 on Friday, April 5.

“Even from a distance, I could see something was wrong. A security company bakkie was driving around. When I got closer, I saw my house burning,” says Legabe.

He called the fire brigade, but unfortunately, they did not arrive in time to save his house and belongings.

His ordeal was still far from over, however.

While forced to sleep in his car on Friday night, Legabe awoke to thugs trying to steal his sheep.

“I only saw one guy. He shot at me with an AK47. I think he only left me because he ran out of bullets,” Lehabe told the Herald on Tuesday. He immediately phoned the police and, upon their arrival, went to check on his livestock.

“Luckily, they had loaded only five of my sheep. I found the other 51 between the plots while searching for them with the police,” says Legabe.
On Tuesday, an official of the West Rand Disaster Management Services brought Legabe some essential bedding so he had something to sleep on.
He had leased the property from the Far West Rand Dolomitic Water Association since 2018 and still intends to purchase it.

It was unclear what had caused the fire, and Legabe’s stolen sheep had still not turned up.

“I want to thank the local police because they came right after I called and were at my place within 20 minutes,” he says gratefully.