‘Muni workers’ gain entry to property

The Polokwane Municipality has no officials conducting oversight visits on water metres in Fauna Park and should there be any, the officials will have some form of identification on them.

This is the information supplied to consumers by the municipality, after a burglary took place in Fauna Park on 14 June where a group of three men, driving a white Nissan NP200 demanded a domestic worker at a house in Fauna Park to open up for them under the guise of being sent by the municipality.

Municipal Spokesperson, Thipa Selala says any municipal official will be able to identify themselves and residents can verify their identity on the municipal’s social media platforms where pictures of the officials have been posted.

Jacques van der Westhuizen, the son of the owner of the property where the robbery took place, says they opened a case at the Polokwane Police Station and their domestic worker was taken in for questioning.

“At the time of the burglary, only the domestic worker and the gardener were home and according to them the bakkie was parked across the road for quite some time before the domestic worker approached them to find out what was going on. She then opened the gate for one of them.”

He says a brawl ensued and the garden worker was hit with a pistol before the suspect demanded that the gate be opened for the rest of his team who then managed to steal jewellery, a firearm and ammunition, spare keys to the cars and private documents.

He has urged residents to be vigilant and educate their workers on the dangers of allowing strangers on to the property.

“People need to encourage their workers to call and confirm first if they want to let someone into the yard.”

Van der Westhuizen was not able to provide Polokwane Observer with a case number and as a result Police Spokesperson, Brig Motlafela Mojapelo was not able to confirm the case.