Squash Club again falls prey to ruthless thugs

Members of the Soutpansberg Squash Club were filled with a sense of déjà vu as they opened their clubhouse doors this week.

On Tuesday morning, members woke to the news that their club had been broken into - again.

It was a scene of utter destruction. First the thugs unsuccessfully tried to break down an outside safety door. When they could not manage to force the door’s lock open, they proceeded to cut a hole in the roof. This enabled the thieves to lower themselves down into the little kitchen of the clubhouse, from where they embarked on a path of destruction.

The burglars literary left no stone unturned. The contents of every cupboard and drawer were turned out onto the floor. When they could not succeed in breaking the lock to the store room, they simply smashed a hole right through the door, trashing the room once they were inside. After snacking on some the club’s food and drinks, the thieves took off with the club’s stereo system, microwave and computer.

Ironically enough, the stereo was on loan to the club, after their previous stereo got stolen during a very similar burglary in August of last year. Much like Tuesday’s incident, the thugs then also gained entry by cutting a hole in the clubhouse’s thatched roof.

The club’s recent encounter also shared some characteristics with a break-in reported at Ridgeway College on 10 April (on which the newspaper reported in last week’s edition). Much like at the club, the burglars who broke in at the college first tried to force open security rails and doors. Only after their attempts failed, did the burglars cut a hole into the roof.  

A spokesperson for the Makhado Police, W/O Cassius Mabatha, confirmed that a case of house breaking has been opened for further investigation. At the time of our going to press no arrests had been made.

In the meantime, however, the club assured members that they would keep the squash courts open, so that members could go and play during the normal club hours.

News - Date: 21 April 2016

Isabel Venter

Isabel joined the Zoutpansberger and Limpopo Mirror in 2009 as a reporter. She holds a BA Degree in Communication Sciences from the University of South Africa. Her beat is mainly crime and court reporting.

Email: [email protected]