GROCERIES STOLEN IN BUS, THROWN INTO PIT LATRINE

MBABANE – Losing groceries in December can be devastating.

A woman of Mpuluzi, Matseni, was caught red-handed on Sunday at her homestead with stolen groceries that she alighted from a bus with on Friday. The woman, who remains unnamed, had allegedly stolen the items from Phakama Bus Service, servicing the Manzini-Dingizwe route. The owners of the groceries discovered that they were missing upon reaching their destination at Dingizwe. Suspicion fell on the woman, after she was seen alighting from the bus with additional belongings that she had not boarded the bus with.

Recognising

The owners, recognising the woman, sought the assistance of Mhlambanyatsi police officers, to confront her at her homestead. Initially, she denied the allegations. However, further investigation by the community police, led by Viora Mavimbela, uncovered evidence implicating her. A family member within the woman’s household revealed that they had seen her returning home with groceries on the day of the theft. The police initially focused on one of her houses. However, on Sunday they extended the search to other houses that were typically locked within her family compound. A woman who was a fellow passenger on the bus played a crucial role in the case.  She convinced the suspect to confess, revealing that she had stolen the groceries, but could not confess as she feared her husband’s reaction.

Upon hearing the confession, the victimised family, with the support of the community police, called Mhlambanyatsi police officers to conduct a raid on the woman’s other houses. As the police approached, the woman threw the groceries into a pit latrine. However, the family managed to retrieve the items around 10pm. The police instructed the victimised family to calculate the total value of the stolen goods and demand compensation from her. The community police confirmed that an arrest had not been made yet.  Chairperson of the National Road Transport Sabelo Dlamini condemned the stealing of other passengers’ goods, especially this festive season.

“We strongly warn against customers, giving bus and kombi conductors their parcels (groceries), because they get stolen,” said Dlamini. He said such theft has occurred so many times and inconveniences the drivers and conductors. Dlamini clarified that it is not ideal, but better when a customer’s belongings get stolen while they are on board, but it is worse when a customer’s goods get stolen under the care of the driver or conductor who was tasked with passing them to another destination. He also added that customers now put too much trust in drivers and conductors, as they pay them to pass their parcels to as far as Johannesburg and Mozambique. He added that drivers have created a strategy whereby they charge the customers approximately 10 per cent of that item to encourage customers to be on time when receiving their items.

Dlamini further advised customers to monitor their groceries when they are on any form of transport, because inasmuch as the conductors may keep a close eye on their goods, the buses or kombis cannot take responsibility for those stolen goods. “Customers are the ones who know their own community members and they should keep track of who board the transport with what load. “We plead with drivers to avoid overloading, because it perpetuates stealing and road accidents,” said Dlamini. When kombis and buses are full, criminals take advantage and pickpocket or leave with belongings that don’t belong to them.”

He also asked the public to not board buses or kombis that are full, but to wait for the marshals to find them another form of transport. Dlamini warned customers about criminals known as ‘emaphara’ who pretend to help them carry their goods, because they are heavy, them run off with them. “Women carrying their children find themselves running after these criminals when they dash with their groceries,” said Dlamini.

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