Criminals becoming brazen and tactical in the way they rob homes

They surround your house like you are the criminal.

This is how ward 23 councillors Sbongumusa Zuma has described the strategy that criminals use to rob people at gunpoint in their own homes.

Zuma said things are getting worse every day. He said the criminals are mostly targeting homes where they know there are no men staying there. He said they are robbing homes in groups.

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“Every day someone gets robbed at gunpoint in this area and residents are traumatised. These criminals kick the door open and they gain entrance. In most cases there are different groups. Others get inside the house while others surround your house like a wanted criminal.

The way everything is happening, it looks like these criminals have inside information about who to attack and what that particular person has in his or her house. The worst part is that the people who are doing this are not from the area but they are working together with people inside
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He said the criminals are making the area ungovernable and it is getting out of hand. “When they see that in this particular area there is something that is being done in fighting them, they move into another area within the ward and continue with their criminal activities.

“Some residents are even thinking of relocating because of the things that are happening. The last incident a woman told me that she is too traumatised to continue and stay in the area. After few days she packed her bags and left. That is how bad is the situation.”

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Zuma said on Monday they held a meeting and some of the men from the community volunteered to work together with the police in doing patrols every day.

He said he hopes this is going to bring down the level of crime in the area.

Pietermaritzburg police spokesperson Sergeant Sifiso Gwala said they are aware of what is happening in the area and the district commissioner has had a meeting with the residents.

He said police are working together with the community in fighting crime.