By Siphumelele Madide
Residents of Ngwelezane near Empangeni on the north coast of KwaZulu-Natal are living in fear as a wave of house break-ins continues to sweep through the area. In the past two weeks, 14 cases have been reported, leaving residents shaken and demanding action from authorities.
Captain Dludla, leading the local SAPS unit, acknowledges the alarming trend. “We are alarmed by this as it seems new gang members come into the area every winter to commit crimes,” he said. “We are currently working with community leaders to come up with a strategy to prevent this from further happening.”
Dludla reassured the public that the police are committed to catching the perpetrators, despite the community’s waning trust. “We know people have lost hope in SAPS, but we will catch these criminals.”
The break-ins have left residents traumatized. Makhosi Mafuleka recounted her experience: “They took out the glass of the window, safely put it on the grass, and came through the window and took my new smart TV. We didn’t hear a thing because we were asleep.”
Another victim, Zakhona Zulu, shared a harrowing tale, “They came in through the window and took all the living room furniture. My 74-year-old mom was alone in the house, and they tied her up in her bedroom.”
In response to the surge, the Community Policing Forum (CPF) plans to increase patrols in the area. A member stated, “We will start patrolling the area, and we might be lucky and catch them. This seems to be the same people because they break in the same way.”
As the community waits for action, residents hope that the combined efforts of SAPS and CPF will bring an end to these brazen break-ins and restore peace of mind.
