Guard officer with traffic cone stops criminal wielding machete in Gallo Manor

Fidelity ADT guard officer Surprise Mkhavhela fought off a blade-wielding man, trying to exit the suburb in Gallo Manor, with a simple traffic cone.

Mkhavhela was on duty (October 20), when he stopped a suspect that was armed with a dangerous weapon and apparently in possession of stolen goods at Gallo Manor.

Criminals have always had a way of gaining access to secured residential areas with little detection, but not in this case. It was discovered through an investigation conducted by the Sandton police that the suspect had jumped over a wall to gain access to the residential area in Sandton.

Moments after entering a house through an open window, a domestic helper caught the suspect stealing clothes and alerted her employer who then rushed for the panic button which alerted the Fidelity Services Group.

The suspect fled to two other properties after hearing sirens.

Knowing that he was surrounded, the suspect made his way to one of the boom gates with stolen goods, a bicycle and a machete. Mkhavhela, who was on duty on October 20, saw the suspect approaching him with a machete, and he quickly planned his next move with caution. The guard officer used a traffic cone to stop the suspect. Officer Mkhavhela had the last laugh as he apprehended and delivered the suspect to the Sandton SAPS.

“I and the entire team commend officer Mkhavhela for his bravery and quick thinking, “Fidelity ADT community operations manager Lameck Sibiya said.

Mkhavhela concluded, “I was scared when I saw the suspect holding a machete. The pepper spray and hand cuffs gave me enough confidence to not let him pass. I wanted to make sure that people felt safe at the end of the day, I am happy that we caught him.”

Sandton Police Station Commander Brigadier Egen Moodley, confirmed that the suspect was arrested after being caught in possession of a deadly weapon and stolen goods.