Elderly couple tell of close shave with would-be robbers
“It shows that our lives were in danger and believe that we were targeted by criminals.”
Residents should always be on the lookout for suspicious persons and vehicles in their area, Mamelodi police have warned.
Police spokesperson Captain Johannes Maheso said residents should report them to the police.
This comes after an elderly couple in Mamelodi got the scare of their lives when they were awakened by their neighbour informing them that someone had tried to steal their main gate and bakkie.
Bongi (65) and Peter (67) Molaoa of Mahube Valley in Mamelodi East said they could not believe their eyes when they saw their main gate removed and placed outside their yard under a tree without hearing anything.
Bongi said it showed that their lives were in danger and believe that they were targeted by criminals, as they were elderly and staying alone in their house.
“We were awakened by our neighbour who always leaves for work in the early hours of the morning when he saw our gate removed,” said Bongi.
She said surprised, the neighbour stopped to inspect the scene, but he got scared when a car few metres behind him switched on its lights.
The neighbour drove away for a few blocks, stopped and called the couple informing them that their gate had been removed.
“When we got outside, we could not believe what we witnessed. We were also shocked that criminals had gained access to our house without making a sound,” said Bongi.
“While standing there we saw a car not far from our house, which turned on its lights and they saw us standing in front of our yard,” said Bongi.
“The vehicle, a bakkie made a quick u-turn and sped off.”
The couple believes that the criminals actually came for their bakkie and when they failed, they went to fetch a bakkie to steal the gate.
Bongi’s husband Peter warned other Mamelodi residents to beef up their security.
“Criminals have come up with a new way of stealing, whereby they remove the gates to gain access to people’s houses,” said Molaoa.
He suspected that the criminals were using “some sort of magic potion to make people sleep”.
“I am a light sleeper, but this time could not hear a sound and even our neighbours’ dogs could not hear a sound,” said Molaoa.
The couple said they had beefed up their security and they also lock their gates with a chain.
Bongi said they also formed a street WhatsApp group with their neighbours to try and fight crime within their area.
The couple said they did not open a case.
Maheso gave Mamelodi residents safety tips on house robberies:
– Enhance your security gates and install burglar bars on windows and if possible fit in cameras.
– Request neighbours to keep an eye when you go away for an extended period.
– Do not open gates and doors for strangers.
– Clean your yard and make sure that you remove objects that can be used for house break-ins.
– Do not touch anything after a house break-in until the police are done with the crime scene.
Do you have more information about the story?
Please send us an email to editorial@rekord.co.za or phone us on 083 625 4114.
For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord’s websites: Rekord East
For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram
