Communities in Sinthumule tired of theft and robbery
Community members said they would take the law into their own hands if the police failed to do something about the situation soon.
LIMPOPO – Residents of Madombidzha and Tshiozwi in the Sinthumule area say they have had it with theft, robbery and housebreak-ins to the point where the culprits must decide: leave the village or face the consequences.
Between November 10-12 alone, more than 15 houses were broken into while residents were asleep. TV-screens and other items were stolen, and shops belonging to Somalians have also been targeted, and people who walk to their destinations at night have been robbed of their belongings.
One of the community members, who wished to remain anonymous, said they would take the law into their own hands if the police failed to do something about the situation soon. He said residents were tired of ongoing crime in the area, and thugs that had been terrorising the communities for a long time.
“Housebreak-ins and theft have reached intolerably high proportions, but the police are dragging their feet in addressing the problem,” he said.
He said those responsible for the burglaries and robberies are known to residents. “They belong to a criminal ring of young boys from their own communities, and incompetent policing is the main reason for the increasing crime. These thugs get through the burglar bars or break the doors open and steal anything of value they can carry out during the night. The communities are going to have to stand together in fighting this problem,” he said.
The chairperson of the Zoutpansberg Community Development Forum (ZDCF), Patrick Sikhutshi said the tendency of thieves to break into houses in the midnight hours and rob people of their belongings, clearly pointed to an organised group.
SAPS spokesperson, Sgt Tshifhiwa Radzilani confirmed that the Tshilwavhusiku SAPS receive reports of burglaries every day. She said they sympathised with the affected households and cautioned residents to be vigilant and notify their neighbours when they knew they would not be home. Radzilani also appealed to shop owners to close their shops early.
The police are asking the public to notify them immediately if they have any information on the whereabouts of the suspects.
