GUARDS HEAVILY ASSAULTED AS THUGS BREAK INTO SHOPS

SITEKI – Thugs attacked and injured security guards before breaking into five shops within the Siteki new market in the early hours of Saturday.

This is the latest in a series of burglary and theft incidents within the Siteki town in the last couple of months. The thugs, who are still at large, stole food, money and other items worth an undisclosed amount of money. According to the police, the thugs broke into a supermarket, a grocery shop, a butchery and two other shops. At the supermarket, which is run by an Asian businessman, they stole food items plus money amounting to E1 700. “They took about E1 000 here (pointing at the cash till box) and coins money…about six or seven hundred (sic),” said the Asian businessman. This is the second time in the past two years that the shop has been targeted by thugs.

In 2016, unknown men in balaclavas entered the shop at dusk and wielded what police said were toy guns before going away with money estimated to be above E10 000. Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Superintendent Khulani Mamba said Siteki police were still searching for the robbers. He added that a small amount of money was stolen from the shops and that the thugs only went away with different items, mostly food. Meanwhile, the guards were treated for injuries and discharged from hospital, however; they could not be reached for comment. Information reaching this publication is that the guards were assaulted, tied and gagged by the thugs. They were discovered on Saturday morning by other town council employees and other people who arrived early at the market. The incident has put into sharp focus the issue of rising crime levels within the Siteki town.

Last month, unknown people broke into two shops along the Jacaranda Street, stealing items worth an undisclosed amount of money. Vendors based at the new market have also been complaining about the theft of their wares from their lock boxes. “The market is no longer safe; when we leave our items in the lock boxes, they are stolen,” said a vendor. Other vendors complained about the poor lighting system within the bus rank and other parts of the town. Siteki town clerk/CEO Sithembile Simelane was unavailable for comment at the time of compiling this report. On another note, some of the shops that were broken into were operating yesterday. The owners said they had to fix the damaged doors and windows and resumed with their businesses.

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