A strong message to burglars – "Put your nose in here again and you will be shot dead!"

This from an exasperated businessman whose business in the industrial area of Louis Trichardt has been robbed time and again, despite preventative measures.

All Power & Lawn Equipment in Industria Road was robbed for the umpteenth time early on Saturday morning at 03:45. The robbers entered through a front window after they had cut and bent away the burglar proofing and smashed the window. Within 15 minutes they emptied the business of seven chain saws and two brush cutters and damaged the shelving. The alarm went off when they entered, but when the security firm and the police arrived at 04:00, they were gone.

The owner, Mr Don Page, reacted to the continuous spate of crime in the industrial area. "This is a syndicate who knows the inside of the businesses precisely and has been harassing all the surrounding businesses. If the criminals want war, they will have it. From now on, if a burglar puts his nose in to my business, he will be shot. End of story."

The robbery on May 12 marked the sixth time that the business had been robbed this year. In the past, the criminals entered from the back or the side. At the back, electrical fencing now deters the robbers and there is a heavy security door that not even a bulldozer will break. At the one side there is now a wall. In the past they have tried to enter through the roof as well. Now the robbers come in through the front window, even though there is ample lighting. A few days earlier, there was an attempted robbery when the front locks were smashed off. The estimated amount lost in stock and damage repair is around R20 000.

"Each time we have to replace locks, get new windows, put new burglar proofing and spend thousands on guards. Lately, we haven’t even called the insurance out because the premium gets raised so high.

"Enough is enough; I am fed up," Mr Page said a few hours after the robbery. He said that, in the past three years his business has experienced many robberies, and not one arrest has been made. He warns criminals not to try ever again. He will arrange for a heavily armed guard to be inside the premises and says that he will do it according to the law.

Provincial Communication Officer Supt Mohale Ramatseva said this week that the Criminal Procedure Act should be observed and that shooting or not is a sensitive matter that should be approached with a cool head.

"You are allowed to retaliate if your life is already in danger and the other people are armed. If you shoot and kill a robber who is not armed, a case of murder will be opened and the court will decide whether it was wrongful or correct. Every situation will be treated on its own merits. To have guards is a good thing and if attacked by armed persons, they can shoot. However, it is important not to be carried away by emotions and to check the circumstances," Supt Ramatseva said.

Local police spokesperson Insp Ndwamato Vele added that a case of housebreaking had been opened and is being investigated. He said the police would keep the community informed about the investigation.