Man in Thembalethu court after suspected burglar dies

A suspected housebreaking in Thembalethu, a township on the Garden Route, turned fatal in the early hours of Sunday when a resident reportedly detained one of three intruders and later allegedly assaulted him, resulting in the man’s death.

George Herald reports the incident occurred in Ramaphosa, Zone 6. Three men allegedly broke into a man’s house.

The homeowner had just returned from a tavern when he saw the men fleeing his property. He chased them, caught one and tied him to a pole in his yard.

During the course of the events, the man discovered that two cellphones and some cash were missing from his house.

Leaving the suspect tied up, he went to the Thembalethu Police Station to report the break-in and request assistance. He was allegedly told that no police vehicles were available to assist him.

Assault allegedly follows

The man returned home, untied the suspect and took him outside the yard. When the suspect refused to reveal the location of the missing items, he was assaulted with fists and kicks, allegedly by the resident.

The suspect fell to the ground and the resident asked neighbours to call the police shortly after 03:00.

This attempt was in vain and no blue lights were seen that night.

At about 07:00, a taxi driver stopped at the house and, upon learning what had happened, also phoned the police.

By the time officers arrived, the alleged burglar was already dead.

Court appearance and internal probe

Confirming the murder, police spokesperson Ndakhe Gwala said the man had been arrested and was scheduled to make his first court appearance in the Thembalethu Magistrate’s Court today. The court outcome was not known at the time of publishing.

Gwala added that the police members implicated in the case are facing internal disciplinary action for unprofessional conduct.

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