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Five armed men attacked an Estcourt Farm on Monday night, 8 November 2021. The villains using the cover of darkness caused by loadshedding to their advantage.
Alf Lees, the DA’s Uthukela constituency head, says the incident happened at around 9.30 p.m.
Husband and wife, Malcolm Moor (85), Doreen Moor (81) and their son, John Moor, were in their lounge when the power went out. According to Lees, John went to turn on their generator, while Doreen went out quickly to do some minor last-minute chores.
Colonel Thembeka Mbele, police spokesperson, explains that Doreen heard their dogs barking. When she went to investigate, she was confronted by two men.
Lees explains that the incident did not end there. The 81 years-old Doreen came across five men on the property, all of whom were armed. Furthermore, Lees states that the attackers also assaulted Malcolm, an 85-year-old man who had just got out of intensive care.
“Fortunately, they were not seriously hurt. But that’s beside the point.”
The family was forced into a room at gunpoint, their hands tied behind their backs, and the door locked.
The perpetrators then stole family items such as jewellery and firearms. The men, however, chose to flee on foot rather than steal the family’s vehicles.
“They are thought to have come from the Wembezi Township, which is about a kilometre away from the farm. They must not have taken the vehicles and fled on foot in order to avoid being apprehended with the vehicles,” Lees added.
After the men fled the farm, the family could free themselves from their shackles before breaking the door down and calling for help.
Looking at the entire situation, Lees explains, “The attack was facilitated by the Eskom loadshedding that was on at the time and which had shut down some cell phone networks, where cell phone tower backup batteries had been stolen.”
Moreover, Lees is convinced this form of crime will become a prevalent modus operandi, with criminals using loadshedding schedules to their advantage.
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