Fritz Smit was wounded in a shootout over the weekend with armed robbers at his Klerksdorp home. Photo: X/ @VehicleTrackerz
What was supposed to be a relaxing kick-off to the weekend with some friends, turned into a nightmare for a Klerksdorp man when the trio were caught off-guard by two armed robbers in the early hours of Saturday morning.
The 36-year-old Fritz Smit’s jaw was crushed by a bullet during a shootout which ensued after the balaclava-clad men entered the area where he and his friends were having a “kuier“.
The incident took place just before 3am according to CCTV footage which has since been shared on social media along with a Back-A-Buddy initiative to assist the father of three with his medical bills.
The video shows three men conversing at a table in a room of Smit’s home when the masked intruders enter the property and point their guns at the friends.
One of the victims however has a weapon on him and pulls it on the assailants. Bullets fly in every direction as heavy gunfire is exchanged, wounding the unarmed Smit in the face.
Disclaimer: The footage contains graphic images which some readers might find upsetting.
According to police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Amanda Funani, a case of attempted murder is under investigation. No arrests have been made and the motive for the incident is still unclear.
ALSO READ: WATCH: Klerksdorp man fends off robbers with knife and Amaberete stomp another into ground
On 16 February, Police Minister Bheki Cele presented the latest crime statistics for the third quarter of 2023/2024, which covers October to December 2023.
According to the South African Police Service (Saps) data, burglaries at residential premises decreased by 4.4% year-on-year. However, compared to the second quarter of 2023, residential robberies with aggravated circumstance increased by 6.8%.
Although robberies with aggravated circumstances at houses increased by only 1.7% year-on-year, they were up by almost 5.2% from the second quarter.
This shows an increasing trend for both break-ins and robberies in South Africa.
While similar in nature (criminal trespassing and theft), burglaries occur when a thief enters a home intending to steal while the victim is not present, while robberies happen when the victim is present and threatened during the theft.
Despite decreasing year-on-year, burglaries still far outstrip robberies in South Africa in number, and – after drug-related crime and assault – is the biggest crime subcategory in the country.
NOW READ: Deadly Klerksdorp car park assault latest: Attacker has allegedly left SA