Aloe Ridge at a an all time high robbery rate

Residents of both Aloe Ridge East and West have raised their concerns about not only the overall condition of the roads and the area being neglected, but mostly their safety. During the past long weekend two houses were burgled.

The owners of the one house were away for the weekend, but for the other family, a burglary turned into a horrible ordeal.

Prudence Mokkgotho and her four young children were alone at home in Aloe Ridge West on Sunday night. Her husband, MJ, was in Polokwane for business. Mokkgotho recalls waking up at around 02:00 to a knocking noise.

Thinking it was the TV playing, she fell right back to sleep. It was only 30 minutes later, when one of her boys went downstairs for a drink of water, that he saw the TV was missing and noticed movement in the living room area. He immediately rushed up the stairs to wake up his mother.

Frightened for their lives, Mokkgotho locked herself and her four children in the main bedroom. She called the SAPS, who arrived within moments.

Upon investigation the police found the garage and back door broken open. It seems that the burglars entered through the garage door and left in a hurry through the back door, scrambling over the back wall of the yard and disappearing into the bushes.

Mokkgotho thinks the criminals must have done something to the family while they were asleep. She recalls being in a deep sleep. Even now, days after the break-in, she and her children spend most of their time in bed sleeping or feeling drowsy.

Among the stolen items were a 55-inch TV, a surround sound system, groceries to the value of R1 800, bedding, clothing and bullets for two separate guns.

MJ Mokkgotho told Steelburger/Lydenburg News that he is planning to move to another, safer place. “They must definitely do something about this area. People are complaining. It is unsafe and security needs to patrol the area.”