Durban - Westville father and pastor, Siyabonga Nzimande, feared his daughters would be taken hostage on Friday afternoon when house robbery suspects tried to break down his kitchen door, as police placed parts of Jan Hofmeyr Road on lockdown to flush out the armed men.
Nzimande made a mad dash to get home in peak hour traffic, to find police, security and emergency vehicles surrounding his house.
His home was a few doors down from a house on Berea West Road that had been targeted by house robbery suspects. After a shootout with police, the suspects fled that house, jumping over fences to escape, and landed in Nzimande’s property.
“I received a WhatsApp voice note from my eldest daughter saying there were thieves around the house. She said she saw four men, and two of them were carrying guns. I replied, telling her and my other daughter to lock themselves in a room and hide.
“I feared for my kids’ lives. I thought that they would be held hostage by the suspects who wanted a place to hide,” said Nzimande.
The suspects tried to break through the kitchen door, but fortunately, said Nzimande, they were disturbed and fled just before police managed to get from the Berea West Road home to his house.
His daughters, aged 20 and 4 years old, were brought out of the house minutes later, accompanied by police who searched the yard.
His daughters and their pet dog were bundled safely into his car. Nzimande despaired over how common house robberies were becoming in Westville.
“I am in shock at what is happening in our community. Criminals are just targeting us so easily, I just prayed for my daughters’ safety,” he said
Residents along the road allowed police to access their homes as they searched for the suspects.
The Nzimande family come out of the house with police, after robbers tried to gain entry. Picture: Arthi Gopi
The incident was the latest home invasion, after three incidents on Thursday.
Blue Security spokesperson Andreas Mathios said a balaclava-clad gang struck three houses in Westville within 45 minutes on Thursday afternoon.
“The balaclava-clad gang targeted a house in Dunkeld Road, in Winchester Drive and in Kirriemuir Road,” Mathios said.
The armed robbers were driving a silver Range Rover and were believed to have hit all three houses, targeting the first property at about 1.30pm. The same vehicle has also been linked to three house robberies in the Overport and Sydenham areas, where three houses were allegedly robbed within 20 minutes.
The resident in Kirriemuir Road yesterday said Thursday’s incident had been the third time their home had been targeted.
In this incident, the suspects signed in at the boom gate controlled entrance to the road.
“I don’t know how to manage with this anymore. We are not safe in our own homes, this is no way to live,” she said, requesting anonymity.
The robbers gained entry to her home by breaking the automatic gate motors.
“When I saw the man jump the fence, I thought I was having flashbacks to the last time I was robbed.
“I was in the garage and immediately went to close the door, but they pushed through and caught me.
“I was preparing food in there as I have my own home business, and they used my apron and fabric that was in the room to tie and bundle me up.
Suspects jumped over fences of homes along Jan Hofmeyr Road. Picture: Arthi Gopi
“He kept saying he would stab me,” she said.
The house was raided by the armed gang, while at the same time, her housekeeper ran to the neighbour for help.
“We are busy making an inventory of what was stolen. Some of the things they took were laptops, watches, and money that I had been saving up to replace jewellery that was stolen in the first robbery which happened in October 2016,” she said.
The boom controls were put in place largely because of her two previous robberies, and that of that other homes on the street.
Westville resident Goolam Jeewa said neighbours were vigilant and helped each other: “But there is only so much we can do to secure ourselves, crime is out of control.”
Another resident, Collin Naicker, who works in the security industry, said suspects jumped fences into yards, to keep away from open, bright areas.
“People usually only electrify the front of their yards, and not the back or sides, because that borders with their neighbours. This makes it easier for criminals to jump into yards,” he said.
Deputy mayor Fawzia Peer, who heads eThekwini Municipality’s safety and emergency services committee, said city officials were doing their best to prevent crime.
She also visited the scene of the house robbery.
“There seem to be syndicates who want to cause instability. We have rock throwing incidents and we have officers patrolling these bridges day and night. But now we have the house robberies again, and we are working with all departments to do our best to fight this. But it is impossible to be everywhere all the time. I will have a meeting with the Westville community soon,” she said.
Captain Bongumusa Manqele, Pinetown police spokesperson, said there had been a shootout between the suspects and police at the home in Berea West Road, Westville. The suspects escaped.