In one of the most rare incidents to have happened around Thohoyandou, a well-known pie vendor recently watched helplessly while her bicycle sped down a steep slope and came to a standstill after crashing against a stationery vehicle in the Thohoyandou CBD.

It is suspected that a street child appeared from nowhere and stole the bicycle, while the owner was busy attending to a customer at a street behind the post office. Onlookers watched in disbelief while the young thug sped and crashed the bicycle against a stationary vehicle.

35-year-old-Constance Ramphabana of Maniini K-Portion said the incident disturbed her day’s programme as she had to wait for police and she also had to change the mangled bicycle.

Ramphabana said she was busy attending to one of her customers when she heard screams from shocked onlookers who were shouting for people to give way to the speeding bicycle that was visibly out of control. "It never crossed my mind that the bicycle in question was mine, until I looked and found that it was missing," she said. "I was shocked and stood helplessly while the young thug destroyed my bicycle."

Ramphabana said she never thought in her wildest dreams that something like this could ever happen to her. "I have been in this business for some time now and nothing like this has ever happened," she said. Ramphabana said the incident has taught her a big lesson and she will never leave her bicycle unlocked again.

She said the incident made her lose a lot of business as it was month end. "I am just consoled by the fact that my boss was understanding when I informed him about the incident, "she said. "He came to the scene immediately after I informed him about the accident and he went an extra mile in organizing me another bicycle. Then it was back to business," she said. Ramphabana said she managed to service some of her customers and still went home smiling.

An eyewitness, Calvin Tshikulumela, said he was coming from the opposite direction when people shouted at him to jump out of the road. "My sixth sense told me to jump without looking as to what was happening and the bicycle missed me by only a few inches," he said. "I have my lucky stars to thank, otherwise I would be lying critically injured in hospital, "he added. Tshikulumela said he had never seen anything like that in his whole life and it will take a long time to forget the incident.

A clearly agitated owner of the car, Mr Ahmed Hassan, a Somali businessman, said he was loading stock into his car when the boy crashed into it. "This boy just appeared from nowhere to cause this damage to my car. I don’t know what to do as the boy cannot fix my car," said the fuming Hassan. Hassan said the boys should be taught a lesson so that they stop their mischievous ways before they land in serious trouble.

As the festive season draws closer, the Thohoyandou CBD has become a hotbed for criminals who prey on unsuspecting Christmas shoppers. Recently, this paper published pictures of two young thugs who got instant mob justice after being caught red-handed while stealing from shoppers. One of them was stripped naked and the other one received a severe beating from angry members of the public.

The spokesperson of the Limpopo police in the Vhembe District, Capt Mashudu Malelo, said no report about the incident had reached his office. He cautioned members of the public to be more careful when doing their Christmas shopping. He encouraged shoppers not to leave valuables in their cars, as they attract criminals. He promised that police will be out in full force this festive season to combat crime.