In the quiet of Xigamani village, the safety of home was shattered by a terrifying reality. A 43-year-old woman and her children were asleep on Tuesday night when the nightmare began. Around 11:30 PM, approximately ten armed men forced their way into their home, turning a place of security into a scene of trauma.
The suspects, armed and dangerous, threatened the family and demanded money. They proceeded to ransack the house, eventually fleeing on foot with an undisclosed amount of cashmoney believed to be the hard-earned savings of a local stokveland a cellphone.
A Seasonal and Disturbing Trend
This robbery is not an isolated incident. It fits a grim seasonal pattern that police have been desperately trying to curb. The end of the year is when stokvelscommunity-based savings clubs that are a financial lifeline for millionsoften payout their accumulated funds. This makes members and treasurers prime targets for criminals.
The acting provincial commissioner of police in Limpopo, Major General Jan Scheepers, immediately ordered an investigation and issued a stark public warning. “Community members are urged to exercise caution and avoid keeping large sums of cash, particularly during this time of the year when stokvel-related robberies are becoming increasingly common,” he said.
This warning echoes an appeal made almost exactly a year prior by Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe, following a nearly identical incident in Sekhukhune. In that case, a 54-year-old woman was robbed just hours after hosting a stokvel meeting at her home, with criminals making off with the club’s entire savings.
A Manhunt is Underway
Police in Malamulele have launched a manhunt for the ten suspects. A case of house robbery has been opened, and investigators are appealing to the public for any information that could lead to arrests.
The incident is a brutal violation that strikes at the heart of community trust. Stokvels are built on cooperation and mutual support, a collective effort to achieve financial goals. This robbery not only represents a devastating personal financial loss for the victims but also damages the fragile sense of security that allows these community systems to function.
For the family involved, the emotional scars will linger long after the police investigation concludes. For the community, it is a harsh reminder that the tradition of saving together must now be coupled with extreme vigilance.
{Source: IOL}
