POLOKWANE – In a case of what is seemingly mistaken identity, a 49-year-old man was arrested on Tuesday for shooting a man he thought was a burglar.
According to Polokwane police spokesperson, Capt Ntobeng Phala, the man, who resides in Buite Street, was informed by his domestic worker that three men were breaking into his house.
The man rushed home, but found that the burglars had already fled.
“When chased after them, he found three men sitting on the pavement in Devenish Street and confronted them, accusing them of breaking into his house.
“The men denied knowing him or his house,” said Phala.
Phala said according to eye-witnesses, the man then took out his firearm and urged the three men to confess that they broke into his house.
“But when the men ran away, he fired a shot shooting one of them in the back,” Phala added.
He said the man left the scene, but returned later, when he was pointed out by eye-witnesses as the shooter.
“He was arrested and will appear in the Polokwane magistrate’s court soon on a charge of attempted murder.”
Asked if there was a problem of crime in the area, a business owner in Dahl Street said the area had been the target of robbers for the past month or so and that residents and business owners were fed up with the unavailability of the police.
“We are about to take matters into our own hands as we feel we are alone in the fight against crime.
“These men who rob us do not come alone. They are usually two or more and they usually target women and the elderly,” said Gerald Ngobeni, a store owner.
Phala said the police were more than willing to assist the community, with the police dedicating four to five vehicles to patrol that area.
He urged residents to report incidents like robbery to the police and not take matters into their own hands.
