Rabie injured in fight with robbers at home
CONTROVERSIAL Port Elizabeth policeman Major-General Dawie Rabie was injured in a brazen robbery at his Summerstrand home last night.
Rabie, who made headlines in the past over an alleged domestic violence incident at his home and claims about interference in a criminal probe into the matter, sustained minor injuries in the confrontation with the robbers at about 7pm.
Rabie was transferred recently from the Mount Road cluster to the Motherwell cluster as commander after numerous failed attempts by him to block the move.
He was cleared of the domestic violence charges when his family declined to proceed with the case.
While on suspension linked to that case, fresh allegations emerged about the irregular promotion of some staff.
Provincial police spokeswoman Brigadier Marinda Mills said Rabie had been home with his grandchild and another family member when he heard noises in one of the rooms.
On investigating, he encountered four suspects, who are thought to have gained access to his Caulfield Crescent home by removing burglar bars from a window.
The suspects fled after a scuffle.
Mills said they had made off with three cellphones and an iPad. Rabie declined to comment. At least six marked and unmarked police vehicles were on the scene, as well as an ambulance in which Rabie was treated.
An unidentified family member, who was thought to have witnessed the incident, cried uncontrollably outside the house.
Attempts to speak to her were blocked by other family members who had arrived on the scene.
A woman on the scene, who did not want to be identified, yelled at the reporter, saying: “We don’t want to speak to you, you only spread lies about this family and we don’t want to make the headlines again.
“We are tired of being on the front page of The Herald.”
Mills said a case of house robbery was being investigated.
We don’t want to speak to you, you only spread lies about this family