The village of Makhasa made a breakthrough when residents managed to help arrest a notorious criminal in the early hours of last Saturday.

It follows after two suspects broke in and stole computers and other electrical appliances, but they were found before they could go very far.

Various kinds of crime have been taking place in the village within the previous three months and no suspect was arrested before. The crimes ranged from electric cable theft to house breaking as well as livestock theft. Due to these kinds of crimes, youths of the village once organized themselves to sleep at school as security guards to protect their school equipment.

On Saturday, the criminals were attempting to steal electrical appliances for the second time at the same school within two months. According to a source, it was around 02:00 when criminals attempted to steal computers at Mhelembe High School. This time, they were unlucky as one of the nearby residents noticed the lights going off at school. Suspecting that there might be something wrong, she immediately alerted other community members who were at a funeral not far from the school.

According to the source, residents responded very quickly and started chasing the two suspects. Fortunately, one the criminals left his identity document in one of his own bags that he had. "He realized that I had already found his bag with his ID in it, so he saw it useless to run and he gave himself up," said one of the residents.

When Mirror arrived, it was about 02:30, and angry residents standing were with the recovered goods as well as the alleged suspect. More and more residents began arriving and the police were called to the scene. The suspect told the masses that he was not alone; he said that he was with his friend, who had fled. The police did not take long to arrive and the man was arrested.

Both the principals of Pembunuka Primary School and Mhelembe High School arrived later and identified the goods to be the property of their schools. Two computers, an electric stove and T-shirts were stolen from the primary school while a photocopier and other equipment, including Bibles and a trophy, were stolen from Mhelembe High School.

Chief Makhasa thanked the residents of Makhasa for the major breakthrough that they have made. Now the residents want other computers that were stolen the previous two months from the high school to be returned. The duo is now the main suspects, not only for the computers but also for electric cables that had gone missing from a number of houses within the village.

The arrested suspect was identified as a resident of the same village and is well known to everyone. The police at Hlanganani SAPS confirmed that the suspect had been arrested.