Robbers target home of Hawks boss

Brazen intruders bash woman looking after general’s toddler son at East London property

The East London home of one of SA’S top cops became a crime scene on Friday afternoon.

Slick, unarmed robbers entered the house, accosted the family’s helper and ransacked the property before escaping in a getaway vehicle with a number of prized items, including a 65-inch television set.

The brazen daylight robbery at the Sunnyridge home of Major-general Kholekile Galawe, the provincial head of the Hawks in the Northern Cape, took place at about lunchtime on Friday.

The young helper, who was assaulted during the robbery, and the general’s two-year-old son were in the house at the time.

The toddler was unharmed. The couple’s teenage daughter was at school at the time.

Galawe, who has previously served as the Hawks’ acting provincial head in the Eastern Cape, was appointed as the elite crimefighting unit’s Northern Cape boss in January 2016.

The Dispatch team was on the scene a few hours after Friday’s robbery.

A large contingent of police from a number of units had descended on Galawe’s house to take statements and search for clues.

However, no arrests had been made by the time of writing on Sunday.

Provincial police spokesperson Brig Tembinkosi Kinana confirmed that police were investigating a case of house robbery.

Galawe’s wife, Bongiwe, told the Dispatch on Friday that she had received a frantic call from the helper at about 1.30pm.

This was while she was at work in Amalinda.

The helper was asking her if she had sent people to come and take some measurements in the house.

“Before I could even respond to say I had not sent anyone to the house, I heard her scream, before her call was abruptly ended.

“When I called back a number of times afterwards, the phone was never picked up.

“I rushed home in a state of panic, fearing the worst for her and my child,” Bongiwe said.

The helper is believed to have been collecting toys scattered on the front porch when an unarmed man entered the property.

He apparently asked her where the owner of the house was.

“He told my helper that he had been sent to come take some measurements in the house.

“He asked for a piece of paper and a pen, and because I had a huge mirror I had bought and wanted to hang in the house, our helper thought that the guy was there for that.

“While she was busy chatting to this guy, a second man entered the house and asked the helper to accompany him to the back of the house so he could take more measurements there.

“That was when our helper became suspicious and called me.

“However, the man who had gone with her to the back of the house tried to grab her phone while she was speaking to me.

“A scuffle broke out and wrestling for the phone ensued, before this guy punched and kicked our helper while she was lying down on the ground, on top of her phone.

“Her screams managed to attract the attention of one of our neighbours, who is a senior police official.

“But when he got to our house, the robbers had just left in a silver-grey vehicle which had been idling at our gate and where a third accomplice was sitting,” Bongiwe said.

Though Galawe’s helper was visibly shaken when police interviewed her a few hours later, she was not seriously injured.

Bongiwe said the robbers escaped with a wall-mounted 65inch plasma TV set from the lounge and another 40-inch TV from the main bedroom, as well as a wristwatch, a Brazilian weave, an iron and two cellphones belonging to their daughter.

The helper later activated a panic button, but when security guards and police arrived at the house, the robbers had already driven off in their getaway car.

It had apparently been fitted with fake registration plates.

A manhunt has been launched.

Bongiwe said the family had been through two burglaries at the property between 2014 and 2016.

After this they had beefed up their security measures.

Friday’s robbery was the first when a member of the family had been present.

Before I could even respond to say I had not sent anyone to the house, I heard her scream, before her call was abruptly ended