Restaurant
TEL: 057 352 5430/9 OR 084 503 7648, PRETORUISSTRAAT Accommodation DAGBREEK WELKOM
Christmas Buffet R120 /Adult
R40 00 under 10
Book in advance
under 3 no charge
Pizza Special (Only Monday-Saturday)- Medium R39.95
Wednesdays and Other Sundays Buffet As Usual.
NEWNEW-VI081216
0 057-357-1304
Daylight robbery Madli Grobbelaar madli.grobbelaar@volksblad.com
During the past two weeks, a spate of crime has hit Welkom. The robbers are presumptuous and attack during business hours. The first incident took place on Monday, 28 November, at about 17:30 in Shoprite, Welkom. Two armed men followed and robbed a cashier on her way to the office of an undisclosed amount of money. The security officer tried to follow the suspects and was shot in the leg. The suspects are still at large. In the second incident, a robbery occurred at the Orion School on Tuesday, 29 November, at about 08:30. The women working in the office were overpowered and robbed of R15 000. In the third case, taking place on Thursday (01/12) at about 05:30, two cars stopped at the Welkom Square. Two security officers were overpowered and tied up. The perpetrators broke into the Vodacom and the MTN shops and stole large quantities of cellphones worth thousands of rands. The robbers drove off and are still at large. On Monday (05/12) at about 08:30, two women who had just opened up a business in Stateway were confronted by four African men wearing balaclavas. Two of them had handguns and demanded money. An undisclosed amount of cash was taken, as well as personal items belonging to the women. The robbers fled on foot. The police appeal to anyone with information to please contact Det.Const. Pitso Matsie on 060985-9330 or Det.WO Jerry Lenyane on 071-411-8251.
Donderdag 8 Desember 2016
www.vistanews.co.za
Gratis
Bikes targeted
Locked garage doors or gates no deterrent to thieves Marti Will mwill@volksblad.com
The Welkom police have launched an intensive manhunt after six motorbikes and quads were stolen in separate incidents in just under a month. There have been more than ten bikes and quads stolen since May this year. In the early hours of Tuesday (06/12) an attempt was made to steal a quad from a locked garage in Dagbreek. The garage locks were broken open and the quad was lifted over two parked vehicles, badly damaging them, before it was pushed to the gate of the property. The electric gate had been disabled and lifted from its tracks. At this point the daughter of the home owner had heard a noise outside and alerted her parents and the panic button was pressed. The quad was abandoned at the gate, where the security firm found it. The damage to the gate alone is estimated at R29 000. The parked vehicles over which the quad was lifted both have deep gouges and scratches. The owner of the quad, Eugene du Plessis, says the motorbike robberies are becoming quite bad. “The thieves are professional, they know their bikes and know who owns what.” Du Plessis says he believes the bikes are being stolen for parts. “They are mostly targeting LPZ400’s (quads) and MX bikes. These are more com-
mon and the parts are in demand,” says Du Plessis. The biking community in the Goldfields, and especially the off-roaders, believe there is a syndicate at work in the region. They also believe the syndicate comprises local people, who know the area and what the bike owners own. One bike owner Vista spoke to says he keeps all three of his motorbikes inside his house at night. Capt. Stephen Thakeng, Welkom Police Cluster communication officer, confirms that six bikes were stolen in separate incidents in Welkom between 4 and 27 November. “We also confirm that on 5 December at about 01:40, there was an attempted robbery of a four-wheeler in Dagbreek,” says Thakeng. He says the police cannot confirm that there is a syndicate targeting quad bikes, as nobody has yet been arrested. On 30 May, a Suzuki M90 was stolen from a yard in Bedelia. Slabs of precon had been removed to get to the bike. On 12 June, Vista reported that an MX bike (Suzuki) and its trailer had been stolen from in front of Rovers Club. The owner had just finished practicing at the Phakisa Raceway. On 31 July, four more quad bikes were stolen in Welkom. Anyone with information which leads to the arrest of the suspects can contact Det.Const. Nare Moshoaliba of the vehicle identification section at 057-391-6823 during office hours.
The garage locks were broken open and the quad was lifted over two parked vehicles, badly damaging them, before it was pushed to the gate of the property.
Vista’s office will be closed from 15 December 2016 to 9 January 2017. – Vista se kantoor sal van 15 Desember 2016 tot 9 Januarie 2017 gesluit wees.
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NEWNEW-VI080916