Residents of Madombidzha and Tshiozwi, in the Sinthumule area, are so fed-up with theft, robbery, and housebreaking that they are sending out a warning to the culprits to leave their villages or face the consequences.

Between 10 and 12 November alone, at least 15 houses were broken into while residents were sleeping at Madombidzha. On 19 November, robbers broke into a further six houses at Tshiozwi. Television sets and other valuable items were stolen. Some of the Somalians’ shops are also targeted, and people who walk to their destinations at night get robbed of their belongings.

One of the community members, who wished to remain anonymous, said that 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 the ongoing crime and that thugs had been terrorising these communities for a long time. “Housebreaking and theft in the area have reached an intolerably high number, but the police are dragging their feet in addressing the problem,” he said.

According to him, the perpetrators who are responsible for the burglaries and robberies in the village are known to the residents. He claimed that they consisted of a criminal ring of young boys from their own communities. “Incompetent policing is the main reason for the increasing crime here. These thugs climb through the burglar bars or break the doors open and steal anything of value that 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), Mr Patrick Sikhutshi, said that this trend, where thieves broke into houses in the midnight hours and robbed people of their belongings, clearly pointed to an organised group.

The SAPS spokesperson, Sgt Tshifhiwa Radzilani, confirmed that the Tshilwavhusiku SAPS receive many reports of burglary 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 further 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.