The South African Human Rights Commission’s (SAHRC) Johannesburg offices were burgled for the seventh time on Sunday, the commission said.
SAHRC spokesperson Lorraine Molepo said on Monday the latest armed robbery was the second at the commission’s Parktown offices in two months and the seventh burglary the commission has experienced since moving to its premises in 2003.
”The commission is concerned that the same gang of armed robbers could be responsible for these criminal activities,” she said.
The previous two robberies both happened on a Sunday. Molepo said the armed robbers used the same modus operandi and targeted the same two floors they robbed last month.
On July 1, a gang of robbers arrived in six or seven cars to burgle the SAHRC premises. They gained entry by pretending to be delivering pamphlets the commission uses.
”They know how we operate,” said Molepo, adding it was ”possible” it was an inside job.
On Sunday, a gang of about eight arrived at the premises. They overpowered a security guard and one of the robbers wore his uniform to gain entry into the offices. Five staff members and one commissioner were tied up by the robbers who took computer hard drives, flat-screen monitors and other goods from the office.
Molepo said one of the robbers even asked an SAHRC staff member: ”Where are the other computers? Didn’t the insurance pay out?”
The SAHRC expressed concern at the impunity of the robbers during these robberies. On Sunday, they did not even bother to cover their faces, said Molepo.
She said the commission’s other concern is how inefficient law-enforcement agencies have been in dealing with the crimes. Police have not yet made any arrests or provided any feedback to the commission on any of their investigations into the seven burglaries.
”Since the last robbery, no identikits were drawn and statements were taken only from the security personnel and only after persuasion by the commission.”
Molepo said the commission is ”plead[ing]” with government and law-enforcement agencies to increase their efficiency in resolving these kinds of cases. ”Attacks such as these undermine the work and the efficacy of the commission,” she said. — Sapa