A home in Symhurst, Primrose, was recently broken into leaving a family of three devastated.
“At about 2.30am on December 16, I heard an unsettling noise, I woke up and checked my husband and daughter and everything seemed fine,” said Annamarie Routledge.
However, when Annamarie woke up she got the shock of her life when she walked into an empty living room and realised that they had been robbed.
Johno, Annamarie’s husband, believes that the thieves used “muthi” to make them unconscious, as the whole family heard nothing while their house was broken into.
“The dogs didn’t even bark, and they are usually vigilant, it seems as though we were put under some spell, we were terrified to wake up to an empty house,” said Johno.
Criminals, allegedly take a piece of goat skin, mostly the tail, and burn it either by the drain, open windows, the opening at the bottom of the door or any airway of the house.
The smoke then penetrates into the house and anybody that inhales that smoke, in the house, will then become unconscious and will thereafter feel or hear nothing for a certain period of time, usually hours.
“The muthi is the only logical explanation for what happened, these people managed to get through tight security and did that without us being aware,” said Johno.
A plasma screen TV, home theatre system, wedding rings, two smart phones, wristwatches, and a money box were among some of the visible items stolen.
“Every year I collect money for the Avril Elizabeth Home and it usually amounts to R2 000, and now I have nothing to give because they also took that money box,” said Johno.
A reflector jacket was left behind by the thieves.
The couple told the GCN that they were unsure about other contents stolen as they haven’t been able to check or touch anything because they were still waiting for the SAPS’s fingerprints department to come take fingerprints.
“We are still shaken up about the whole ordeal; we appeal to the community to be vigilant of criminal activities especially during the festive season,” said Johno.
