Huisroof in Wildernis | George Herald
Huisroof in Wildernis
Pieter Naude in sy hospitaalbed in die MediClinic George.
GEORGE NUUS - Huisroof en inbrake het die afgelope naweek hoogty in Wildernis gevier, met voorvalle in Kleinkrantz, die Duine en Hoekwil.
In die mees onlangse voorval Saterdagaand is 'n bekende inwoner van die kusdorp en voormalige hengelrubriekskrywer van die George Herald, buite sy huis in die Duine oorval en erg aangerand.
Pieter Naude (62), ook voorsitter van die Wildernis Christian Fellowship en 'n trustee van Genefontein-aftreeoord op George, is met 'n tuinvurk in die linkerbeen gesteek, verskeie kere met 'n mes in die kop gesteek en sy wangbeen is gebreek.
Sy aanvallers het die munisipale elektrisiteitboks reg buite sy erf oopgebreek en die krag afgeskakel terwyl hy en sy vrou Charmaine rugby gekyk het. Die booswigte het Naude in die bosse oorkant sy huis ingewag en toe hy uitkom om ondersoek in te stel, hom bewusteloos geslaan.
Mev. Naude het na 'n rukkie gaan kyk waar haar man draai en haar in die twee rowers met balaklawas oor hul koppe en kouse oor hul hande vasgeloop. Hulle het haar terug in die huis gedwing waar sy die kluis vir hulle moes oopmaak.
Juweliersware, twee iphones, 'n ipad, 'n donkergrys Acer-skootrekenaar en Amerikaanse dollars is gebuit waarna die rowers te voet gevlug het.
Naude het Dinsdag uit die Mediclinic George gesê die voorval het omstreeks 19:00 plaasgevind. "Ek het uitgegaan en gesien die munisipale boks is oop en die skakelaars is af. Dit is die laaste ding wat ek onthou. Ek het weer in die ambulans bygekom."
Hy is gister uit die hospitaal ontslaan nadat hy Dinsdag 'n operasie aan sy wangbeen ondergaan het. Sy wangbeen is gebreek nadat die rowers hom met 'n as geslaan het.
Kevin Grünewald, direkteur van elektrotegniese dienste by die George-munisipaliteit, het vandeesweek gesê dit het onder hul aandag gekom dat kriminele die elektrisiteitstoevoer na 'n huis ontkoppel het om sodoende toegang tot die woning te kry.
"Misdadigers gebruik dié metode om inwoners so ver te kry om hul deure oop te maak en ondersoek in te stel, en beroof en rand hulle dan aan. Wees versigtig as jou elektriese toevoer uitskop. Skakel eerder die munisipale noodnommer of die polisie," sê Grünewald.
Niemand is nog in verband met die voorval in hegtenis geneem nie. 'n Saak van poging tot moord en huisroof word ondersoek.
Kapt. Malcolm Pojie, die Suid-Kaapse polisiewoordvoerder, het vandeesweek gesê goeie leidrade word opgevolg en hulle is positief dat hulle binnekort 'n deurbraak gaan maak.
"Dit blyk dat ouer mense wat alleen woon deur misdadigers as sagte teikens gesien word. Ons vra almal weer om die sekuriteit rondom hul huise op te skerp en enige verdagte persone aan die polisie te rapporteer. Die sektorbevelvoer-der in die Wildernis-area is ook getaak om sigbaarheid te verskerp en meer gereelde patrollies te doen."
Behalwe die huisroof by die Naudes, was daar ook die naweek twee huisbrake in Kleinkrantz, een in Hoekwil en 'n inbraak by die gewilde kuierplek, Locals in Milkwood Village in Wildernis. Tydens een van die voorvalle is twee handwapens gesteel.
Die George Herald het die polisie vir kommentaar hieroor gevra, maar geen terugvoer is teen druktyd ontvang nie.
Nog 'n inwoner het sy bekommernis uitgespreek oor die veiligheid van die munisipale elektriese bokse omdat enigiemand die boks kan oopbreek en die inwoners se krag kan uitskop.
Grünewald sê daar is min wat die George-munisipaliteit hieromtrent kan doen, behalwe om te verseker dat die bokse volgens standard-instruksie gesluit en veilig is.
Klagtes oor die toestand van munisipale elektrisiteitbokse kan deurgegee word by 044 874 3917 of die noodnommer by 044 801 6300.
Wilderness man attacked
Wilderness residents suffered numerous burglaries and armed robberies over the weekend with incidents in Kleinkrantz, The Dunes and Hoekwil.
Saturday evening well known resident and former George Herald angling columnist Pieter Naude (62), was attacked and seriously injured
outside his house in The Dunes. Naude, also the chairman of Wilderness Christian fellowship and a trustee of the Genevafontein Retirement Village in George, suffered injuries to his head and leg after being stabbed several times with a garden fork and knife. He was also hit with a very heavy steel implement that broke his cheekbone.
His attackers followed a new modus operandi to lure Naude out of his house. At around 19:00, while he was watching rugby on the TV with his wife, Charmaine, he went outside to the municipal electricity box when the lights "tripped".
When her husband did not return, Charmaine went to investigate and two men wearing balaclavas forced her back into the house where she had to open the safe. The men, who covered their hands with stockings to prevent leaving any fingerprints, stole jewellery, two iphones, an ipad, an Acer laptop and American dollars before fleeing on foot.
Naude was admitted to the MediClinic George and received surgery to repair his cheekbone on Tuesday afternoon. He told the George Herald all that he remembers is flipping the main switch back on and then waking up in the ambulance. "When I went out I noticed that the electricity box was open and that the switches were down. Then they struck." Naude was discharged on Wednesday.
Kevin Grunewald, George municipal director of electrotechnical services warned that it had been brought to their attention that attackers are flipping the electricity switch outside to get homeowners to open their doors and lure them outside. "Please be very careful. Do not investigate the outage yourself. Rather phone the municipal emergency number or the police." The municipal emergency number is 044 801 6300.
Nobody has been arrested, but police spokesperson, Capt Malcolm Pojie said that they are following good leads and that the police hope to make a break through soon. "Criminals are increasingly targeting the elderly and see them as soft targets. Please intensify your security measures and be extra alert. Also report suspicious looking characters in your area. The sector commander has also been tasked to increase patrols in the Wilderness area."
Apart from the attack on the Naudes, burglaries were also reported over the weekend in Kleinkrantz (2), Hoekwil (1) and at Locals in Milkwood Village. During these burglaries the criminals made off with, amongst other things, two firearms.
Responding to a question on how to safeguard your outside electricity box, Grunewald said there is precious little that the municipality can do except to ensure that the boxes are secured and locked according to standard instructions. To report security problems with your outside electricity box, please phone 044 874 3917.
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