POLOKWANE – Issues surrounding security at a secured housing estate in the city seem to be one of the main contributing factors to the robbery and subsequent murder of a resident on Tuesday.

Simoné Oosthuizen (25) and her husband, Ignat (30) were asleep when a robber gained access to their duplex unit in Serala Village in Serala View in the early hours of Tuesday.
An unnamed friend of theirs, a woman, was asleep in another room.
A close family friend who did not wish to be identified, told Review of the trauma the three victims went through.
The Oosthuizens woke up at around 03:00, realising a man was in their room.
A struggle ensured between the intruder and Ignat, during which the intruder broke loose and fled the house.
Ignat went in pursuit and another struggle ensued. He was stabbed in the neck. At some point his wife tried to intervene, upon which she was stabbed in the arm.
The family friend had locked herself in the bedroom.
Simoné’s screams alerted the neighbours who rushed to assist them, but it was too late for Ignat.

“If they would take precautions and set up proper security, things like this would not happen”

Simoné was later taken to Mediclinic Limpopo, where she underwent an operation on Tuesday afternoon.
Waiting at the hospital for news on Simoné’s condition, Ignat’s mother, Jane, told journalists: “I cleaned it up, it was my blood, my son, lying there”.
This attempted burglary was the third the couple suffered since November 2014.
According to another resident, Joel Mamabolo, security at the complex was “non-existent”.
“We have had several burglaries in the past but our landlords don’t respond to our complaints about security.
“If they would take precautions and set up proper security, things like this would not happen,” Mamabolo said.
He said until shortly after the incident, the electric fencing had never worked.
Review found access to the complex surprisingly easy.
One person who entered in our presence, told the security guard he was part of a police team; another of being a close relative of a resident.
Both were granted access without questions being asked or details being recorded.
Review spoke to the chairperson of the resident’s committee, who did not wish to be named, who said there had been several complaints by residents about their safety.
He said there was a problem in sustaining a proper committee as the turnover of residents was “quite high because of the high crime rate in the complex”. Polokwane police spokesperson, Capt Ntobeng Phala, confirmed that a case of house robbery and murder was being investigated and that no arrests had been made yet.
He said the only items stolen from the home were two cellphones.
If you can help in this investigation contact Lt Col André Kotze at 082 414 2314.