More home invasions in the pipeline?

In an article titled, “Whose pipe is this?” published earlier this year, the WITBANK NEWS asked municipal spokesperson at the time, Mr Kingdom Mabuza, to whom the open pipe in a water drain in Peridot Street belongs to.

This open pipe is often surrounded by flatbed trucks and ‘bakkies,’ who swarm to the area to fill multiple 20 litre cans of water.

Mr Mabuza confirmed that the pipe does not belong to the municipal water system.

“I have checked with our Water Section and they informed me that the water pipe is not part of the municipal water network, it probably comes from one of the houses or from other sources which are not linked to the Municipality,” Mr Mabuza explained at the time, “but it is highly risky to drink water whose source is not known.”

Upon being asked whether he believed that the pipe, that was luring loiterers and non-residents to the area, was the reason for the sudden increase of crime in Reyno Ridge (specifically in and around Peridot Avenue), Mr Mabuza stated,

“How some of your readers reach the conclusion that people collecting that water are increasing the prevalence of crime, is difficult to understand. I do not see any connection between collecting water and an increase of crime. Crime is a huge problem in eMalahleni, but we should not make baseless assumptions.”

On 29 July, at approximately 03:00 in the morning, Mrs Eugenia Ndaba awoke to the sound of something (or someone) ransacking her home in Centaury Street.

“

I rushed downstairs thinking it was the neighbour’s cat who sometimes comes in and knocks things off of the kitchen counters, but I was wrong,” told Ndaba, “I immediately saw two strange men on the landing. They told me to lie down, or else they would shoot. Of course I complied.”

The men then dragged Ndaba back to her bedroom, where they tied her up after stealing her cellphone and wallet, and made off with her car. Ndaba was discovered and untied a couple of hours later by her domestic worker.

Miss Angela Ferreira, who lives in Cancer Street in Reyno Ridge, woke up with a pistol in her face in the early morning hours (approximately 02:00).

“Two strange men were standing over my bed, pointing a gun at me. They told me they didn’t want to hurt me, but that they would if I tried to run or scream. They told me they were waiting for my father to return home as he had gone out to the mine.”

Shortly thereafter, Ferreira’s father did return home – at which point the two robbers incapacitated him, and took his car keys.

The robbers got away with Ferreira’s father’s car, all of the cash in the house and both cellphones.

On July 26, at about 01:00, Mr Thabo Sibeko from Peridot Avenue in Reyno Ridge sat upright in his bed; listening for any sound of movement in the hallway. He didn’t wait long before he heard two or three unfamiliar voices.

He immediately locked his bedroom door, and pressed the panic button which he had installed in his house.

He remained in the room until the security company arrived, at which point the robbers had already fled.

The robbers made off with a laptop and a television set.

In all three cases, no arrests have been made – although the police are thoroughly investigating these traumatic happenings.