Two thieves who thought they were too clever to be caught when they stole goods from their former landlord got the shock of their lives when the owner of the bakkie they hired to transport the stolen goods reported them to the community.
The incident happened at Shayandima Zone 9 last Friday (23rd). Mr Musakanda Chipeperekwa, a bakkie owner and builder from Shayandima, said he was asleep at around 05:00 that morning when he heard a knock at his door. "I went outside and found two guys who asked me to help them move their belongings from a rented room in the township to the University of Venda. I asked them why we had to do it so early, and they said they wanted it done before work that morning. We agreed on the price and they promised to pay me once everything was moved," he said.
Chipeperekwa said he became suspicious when the refrigerator he was to load onto the bakkie was retrieved from the bushes. "My instinct told me something was wrong. I locked one of the men inside my car, but the other one managed to escape. I rushed to the civic leaders and, upon questioning, the caught man confessed and took us back to where they stole the goods. The other suspect was also traced and found at Itsani village. The police were summoned and took the suspects away, who were by then bleeding after angry residents beat them up," Chipeperekwa said.
The owner of the house, Ms Azwinndini Vhangalala, said the incident had angered her. "These are the same people we gave shelter to for so many years. They stayed with my mother, who treated them as her own kids. Last month, a plasma [TV] set and a big music centre were stolen here and we did not even think they were behind this, until they confessed that they had stolen them too. The value of the stolen goods is around R30 000. This makes me so angry. Is this the way people pay you back for the good you do for them?" she said.
The police confirmed the incident. Sergeant Vuledzani Dathi of the Thohoyandou police said they had received a call about the incident at around 06:45 and rushed to the scene where, on arrival, they found the two badly beaten men on the street. "The injured men were taken to the local hospital for medical attention. They will appear in court soon on charges of possession of suspected stolen property," he said.