Within less than a week, three house robberies have been reported in Tshepisong.
According to a statement by the Kagiso Police spokesperson, the robbers use force to gain entry by either kicking open the door, or using unknown objects to damage chains and locks. They prey on their victims while they are asleep late at night and in the early hours of the morning. In one of the early-morning incidents, a victim was robbed of cash and was raped, while a friend was ordered at gunpoint to cover her face with a blanket.
“It is time for residents of Tshepisong and surrounding areas to come up with plans that will bring an end to their fears. The plans must be to address crime in general by following the correct practices accepted by law as they prioritise house robberies as a matter of urgency. Working more closely with the police and being law-abiding citizens, they must prevent anyone from taking the law into their own hands,” the statement read.
The Kagiso Police station commander, Brigadier Themba Maduna, said Tshepisong residents must come together and form or revive their community structures, which they must formally introduce to the police for assistance and approval.
They cannot let their area become a gangsters paradise; they must take charge without becoming criminals themselves, said Maduna.
