Attacked at home, then let down by police
April 30 2015 at 12:19pm
By Lerato Mbangeni
THE STA
Bonita Lambe, 72, was attacked by an intruder in
her home in Oakdene, Joburg. She opened a case at Moffatview police station,
but was told three weeks later that the case had been closed. Picture: Dumisani
Sibeko
Johannesburg - Bonita Lambe wears a panic button on a chain around her
neck and carries pepper spray in her pocket whenever her husband is not home.
The 72-year-old and her husband Tom, 70, recently added an electric
fence on the walls of their Oakdene, Joburg, house and had a security gate
installed inside to separate the bedrooms from the rest of the rooms.
The couple have been living in fear since a man wearing a curly black
wig and large women’s sunglasses attacked Bonita in her home on April 8 and
robbed her of her jewellery and cellphone.
“It was morning and I had come from the garden and went to my bedroom to
decide what to wear for the day. I had left the security gate open.
“Then a man appeared at the door wearing big leather gloves and an
overall over other clothes,” said Bonita, closing her eyes to recall the
incident.
“He had a long screwdriver and he slowly came towards me and then put
his left hand around my neck. He said, ‘Don’t scream, we are Nigerians and we
will rape you’.
“He then started hitting me over the head, over and over, with the blunt
end of the screwdriver and asked where we keep our money.”
Bonita told him that they did not keep any money in the house and the
assailant covered her mouth with a glove, kicked her and pushed her into a
cupboard while he ransacked the room.
“I told him that I’m sorry that he felt he had to do this because I
would have given him everything without a fight. He didn’t have to be vicious.”
When the robber left, Bonita and the neighbour called the police and her
husband.
According to Tom, “the incident happened at 10am and the police arrived
only at 2pm. All they did was take a statement. We haven’t seen anyone since.”
He said they had received an SMS with the name of an investigating
officer, but had heard nothing from him.
After three weeks, Tom went to Moffatview police station to enquire
about the matter.
“I told the policewoman at the counter that we hadn’t heard from the
investigating officer and she asked what I expected her to do.
“Eventually, she sent me to a warrant officer, who asked someone to look
up the case on the system,” Tom said.
The system showed that the investigating officer had closed the case. “I
asked how could it have been closed by him if we never saw him once. Then the
warrant officer got up and walked away from me,” he said.
The couple have since tried to contact the office of the police
commissioner and someone at Moffatview police station via e-mail, but to no
avail.
“I know that there are many good policemen out there, but there is also
a bad bunch,” said Bonita.
The Star sent questions to the Moffatview police on Tuesday and was
still awaiting a response at the time of publication.
lerato.mbangeni@inl.co.za
The Star
