News

No mercy for mentally and physically disabled

The youths at the Greater Middelburg Activity Centre for the Disabled had to be fed out of pocket after a burglar made off with the centre's pots and pans used to cook a healthy meal for the mentally and physically disabled.

July 24, 2018

Gerhard Rheeder 2 minutes read

A member of the Forensic Unit dusted for prints and took photos of the crime scene.

Cutlery was also stolen, alongside all the bathroom taps.
The vandal went from bathroom to bathroom, broke the door locks and stole all the taps.
The wash basins and toilets were also broken.

The thief went as far as to vandalise the bathroom facilities.

The vandal wasn’t satisfied with breaking the basins and went on to damage the ceilings and windows, and in the process cut himself.
After damaging the bathrooms, the thief went to the storeroom and kicked open the roller door to gain entry.
Inside he made a fire, which police believe was started to light up the storeroom.

Also read: UPDATE: Critical food shortage at Centre for Disabled

Inside the culprit only took a garden fork, which he used to force open the kitchen’s security gate.
The gate, however, only slightly budged, where after the thief knocked out a window to gain entry.
The kitchen pantry is also protected by a security gate, which the thief attempted to break open with the garden fork, but failed.
He then made off with all the pots and pans, cutlery and crockery.

The Activity Centre’s kitchen was ransacked, and what the thief could not take was broken.

The breakables he did not take, he broke them on the kitchen floor instead.

“We care for the marginalised in our society, we feed them and offer them a safe space where they are protected against exploitation, a space where they can learn skills and improve their own circumstances, and now their stability has been rocked by a single criminal,” caretaker Mr Rudy Mbenzi said.

Samaritans who want to assist the centre with fixing the toilets, windows, doors, ceilings, and those wishing to donate cookware towards the kitchen, can contact Ms Karen Loesch on 082 341 6195.