South Africa is probably one of the few countries in the world where one can discuss an invasive burglary at one's home calmly over a morning cup of coffee.

Last Thursday, Jan and Laura van Zyl of Makhado (Louis Trichardt) also became victims of a gang of thugs who apparently specialize in targeting homes while the occupants are peacefully asleep. These “cat burglars” stole, among other things,  the Van Zyls' cellphones from their bedside table without their even hearing a sound.

“It’s scary to think they poked around our room, rummaging through my bags, and we were right there … sleeping. I don’t want to think about what would have happened if we had woken up,” Laura told the Zoutpansberger just hours after the burglary.

Laura and Jan live in Waterbessie Street. She woke up at around 07:00, wondering why the cellphone alarm had not woken them. Still sleepy, she woke Jan, who got up and went to the kitchen, while she tried to search for the phones, thinking they might have been knocked from the table by the cat.

Jan was the first to realize that they had been robbed. In the kitchen, he found the fridge door open and, upon walking back to question Laura about it, saw the mayhem that the robbers had left in the living room and dining room. Almost every drawer’s content had either been searched or turned inside out on the floor.

It is suspected that more than one thief was inside the Van Zyls' home after they had gained entry by climbing over the fence and forcing open the burglar bars of a kitchen window. The thieves were clever enough to use a rock to hold the window open, making it easier to pass stolen goods through.  “Just look at this,” said Laura while pointing at the burglar bars in front of the window through which they had gained entry, “this is what all of us use to keep us safe, and just look how easy it is to bypass it!”

It is suspected that the same robbers might have been responsible for similar robberies in the Van Zyls' neighbourhood the past few months. In almost all of these robberies, it would seem, the thieves are mostly interested in electronic goods. At the Van Zyls', the thieves got away with both their cellphones, Jan's laptop, Laura's engagement ring and other bits of jewellery, her wallet and all the cash in Jan's wallet. To top it all off, they took a cool drink from the fridge. The laptop bag and half-finished cool drink were discarded in the parking bay next to the kitchen.

At the time of the burglary, Laura's aunt, Judy Pearse from Johannesburg, was visiting. She was shocked to learn about the robbery, as hers was the only room in the house that had not been searched. “I was trying to stay safe here in Louis Trichardt, and now this,” said Judy. She was the victim of a burglary shortly before her visit to Laura, and during her stay she learned that her daughter’s house back home had also been broken into.

Laura and Jan think they might have fallen into a deep sleep from smoke inhaled from either a burnt chemical or CD. They notified the police, who were quick to respond. The police were able to lift some fingerprints. “We were very impressed with the service that we received from the police,” the couple said.

In the meantime, the police have arrested one suspect for questioning, but at the time of going to press, it could not be confirmed whether he could be connected to the robbery at the Van Zyls'. Investigations are continuing.