ON the last Monday before the July holidays, 26 June, I stopped at the library in New Germany to return some books before going on holiday. I was in and out, probably taking no more than two to three minutes away from my car.
Returning to my car, a VW Polo, I noticed a small car parked directly behind mine. My first reaction: with so much space available, why there? to perhaps drop someone off?
Moving forward to complain, at that moment a medium-built, hat-less man in a light T-shirt came out from between the cars, got into the passenger side of the stationary car which then reversed and drove off.
Only with my car in plain view, I noticed the door slightly open.
The lock had been broken with a sharp object, the side panel inside the door ripped open and some fuses disturbed, apparently to disengage the alarm and to be able to drive the car away.
Had I been inside the library a minute longer, the car would have been gone.
At this stage, the security guard approached me, saying he had gone to look for me inside to tell me that he thought my car was been tampered with.
Is that all he is there for? Couldn’t he have chased them off or at least told them to ‘park’ in a proper spot, if he did not want to be too obvious about chasing them away?
I reported the robbery attempt to Pinetown Police (where I was told this was not the first problem they had had at the library). I got a case number from them, at least I was able to claim from insurance with it.
To everyone else out there, let my experience be a warning to be vigilant at all times when leaving your car empty and locked at the library.
There is just no assurance that it will be still there when you return for it.
Rea Hoekstra
New Germany
