ROSETTENVILLE EXT – Six ‘policemen’ in balaclavas entered a house in Lang Street, Rosettenville Extension in the early hours (about 03:00) of Monday August 25; they robbed the owners and the tenants.
Cellphones, a laptop and a mounted plasma TV were some of the items taken. Some of the people in the house were tied with a belt and some by cable tie; they were also beaten by these ‘policemen’.
Eyewitness who was at the house (a woman in her thirties) said they jumped the wall into the house and the door was forcibly opened. “They shouted at us ‘Police! Police! Police!’ as they entered the house. Though they were wearing civilian clothes, police badges were flashed to us. We couldn’t even ask why they were there as everyone was told to lie down,” explained the woman, who wanted to remain anonymous.
After looting the house they wanted the keys of the cars in the yard. As they were making their way out, people in the yard realised that they were being robbed and they (‘the policemen’) started to run. “They all ran out, jumped into two cars; a Mercedes Kompressor and a Kia Picanto, luckily one of them couldn’t get into the cars, he was running from the houses. A JMPD vehicle which was nearby spotted him and gave a chase. He was cornered at the fourth house from the robbed one, and he was shot in his cheek. After searching and questioning him, it was established that he was a policeman from Fairland, a badge and firearm were recovered from him and he was then taken to hospital,” she said.
Duet Donga (40) whose window was shot when the bullet ricocheted from the wall, lives in the house where the police was cornered. “I was still watching movies when I heard the loud bang into my window. When I went out to investigate I found a man lying on the ground with the JMPD officer next to him. He was still wearing a balaclava. Who will protect us when the people whom we thought are our protectors do this?” asked Donga.
Spokesperson Chief Superintendent Wayne Minnaar said the officer, 51, drove past the house at around 03:20.
“The victims of the house ran outside and alerted the sergeant as he drove past. One of the armed robbers was shot, and the exact details of the shooting will be investigated,” he said.
“Five other suspects jumped into a car and sped off, leaving the one suspect behind who has been taken to hospital with a wound to his chin.”
Also Lt-Col Lungelo Dlamini said his five alleged accomplices escaped with stolen goods including laptops and cellphones. “The constable is under police guard at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital after he was shot and wounded during a house robbery,” he said.
