Councillor warns residents to be wary of robbers in Morningside

WARD 27 councillor, Ernest Smith has warned Morningside residents to safeguard their homes after a spate of break-ins in the area. Smith said his office on Lilian Ngoyi Road was broken into recently.

“I am urging residents in the area to please be vigilant of people in and around their properties and not simply mistake the person as someone passing by,” said Smith.

Spokesperson for the Berea SAPS, Captain Poobalan Naidoo confirmed the incident.

“There was a business break-in. The office was locked. The case is under investigation,” said Naidoo.

Also read: Six suspects arrested for Umbilo business robbery

Smith said the hinges on his office door had been broken off.

“Two laptops and a Giant Mountain Bike were stolen,” said Smith.

“Unfortunately, I cannot say if someone informed (the suspect) of the items I keep in the office or whether they entered the office at some point as I have a good number of people enter my office,” he added.

Also read: Suspect nabbed for Durban business robbery

Smith said the robbery was caught on CCTV cameras.

“What is of concern, as well as surprising for me, is that people who commit these acts do so in a brazen way and sometimes return to the scene of the crime,” he said.

“Covid-19 has pushed a lot of people to turn to crime. We need to band together as a community to be aware of people on our roads. We need to form relationships with our neighbours and foster a community spirit,” added Smith. 

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