Employees at the St Luke’s Hospice in Lotus River say they are dumbfounded by local skelms who continue to break into the property after two men stole a kettle from the premises during the early hours of Tuesday morning.
Nadia Emjedi, daycare co-ordinator at the hospice, says two men were seen breaking into the charity shop situated on the hospice’s grounds on Fourth Avenue in Lotus River and noted it was not the first they had to deal with skelms.
“I do not know why they think there is stuff worth stealing here. All they got this morning was a kettle but the damage they caused to the premises is what hurts us.
“Over the last few months, they managed to break the lock on the front gate, the frame by the window, the burglar bars and the small gates by the doors.”
The hospice volunteer said the break-in occurred at 4am on Monday while nobody was hurt.
“At that time, the only people here were two sisters and a social worker and they heard the guys coming in before they called the police.
“The people shouted at the guys to go away. They say the guys ran away but tried to come back a few times before the police eventually came and they ran away with the kettle.”
Residents living nearby say the premises has been a target by druggies who see the hospice as an easy target.
A 48-year-old female resident, Samantha Hugo, said: “These laaities are not in their right mind because they are permy geroek and they keep catching on nonsense here in the area.”
Grassy Park SAPS station commander Colonel Dawood Laing confirms police were on the scene while no arrests were made.