Swartruggens home targeted in daylight burglary

Swartruggens – In a disheartening turn of events, Swartruggens resident Hugh van Tonder faced the all-too-common ordeal of home burglary on Sunday 17 March 2024. The retired community member reported the incident to the police, marking yet another statistic in the rising concern over local security. The thieves gained unauthorised entry into his storage space, a barn adjacent to his home, and made off with valuable equipment crucial for his woodworking and metalwork hobbies.

Among the items stolen were a welding machine, soldering rods, a wooden saw, a baby grinder, a sanding machine, a collection of pliers and wrenches, side cutters, and several 30-meter extension cords. The loss of these tools not only represents a financial setback for van Tonder but also a significant emotional toll, given the personal value and utility he derived from them.

Van Tonder, in an interview with Platinum Weekly newspaper, shared his resignation to the recurring threat, “It’s actually a common occurrence for me. They walk over the railway tracks and then walk past your yard, and if they see you’re not home, they break in.”