Well-known Thohoyandou crime fighter Mr Saeed Patel, a security officer with BVS Security in Thohoyandou, said he would never forget his experience on Sunday evening a fortnight ago. Patel (48) was with his brothers when intruders surprised them and held them at gunpoint, demanding cash and valuables.

He came out fuming, claiming that police had done nothing to help him after his ordeal.

He said he was relaxing at home with his brothers at around nine in the evening when he decided to lock the main door. He said while locking the main burglar door, he noticed figures standing right in front of him.

“Before I could utter a word, I was told to open the main gate, which I refused, but not before the robbers had broken the door and entered the sitting room,” he said. Patel said he, together with his brothers, were forced at gunpoint to hand over everything they had, including cash, jewellery and cell phones.

He said the robbers were not satisfied after taking more than R7 000 in cash and they wanted more. “I was forced at gunpoint to open all the rooms and they ransacked them, looking for more money,” he said.

He said in one of the rooms they found his children and they held the gun against the head of his newborn baby. “I pleaded with them not to kill my baby, but to take everything they wanted in the house. After making sure that there were no more valuables, they swiftly left the house,” he said.

Patel said that after the incident he was taken to the hospital.

His worry is the response time taken by the police. He said it took the police more than an hour to arrive at the scene, even though the Thohoyandou police station is just a stone’s throw from his home.

“I am very disappointed about the actions of the police. If they had responded in time, they would have caught the robbers. To add insult to injury, they sent reservists to the scene and not experienced officers, who would have known what to do. Valuable evidence was tampered with before experts could take charge of the scene,” he said. The police only showed up on Monday evening.

A few years ago, the Indian community, more especially the business owners, were targeted at their homes by armed bandits, who robbed them of cash and other valuables. Police then worked around the clock and managed to identify them. Some were arrested and some who resisted were killed in a shoot-out with police. Since then there has been a lull and peace.

Limpopo police spokesperson in Vhembe, Capt Mashudu Malelo, said he was surprised by the allegations by the victim as police followed all procedures that are necessary in an incident like the one that happened at his place.

“After a report came to the station, we dispatched all the expert units, who took over the scene and all evidence was gathered. We are just surprised as to how he came to know what was happening at his home while he was in hospital. After all, if he feels that he was not treated fairly, our doors are always open and he can always complain to higher officials,” he said.