Guest narrowly escapes attack at Walmer lodge

A Durban woman was attacked inside the Ibhayi Town Lodge in Main Road, Walmer in what appears to be an early morning robbery.

The incident took place shortly after 1am while the 25-year-old woman was asleep in her room.

Police spokesman Captain Johan Rheeder said the woman woke up as the robbers attempted to open the bedroom door to her suite.

“She managed to hold the door closed after hearing people try to force the door open.

"While trying to keep the door closed, she sustained a minor injury to her arm,” he said.

“The men then managed to climb into the room through an open window. As they entered, she opened the door and ran out screaming for help.”

Rheeder said the door was damaged when the two suspects  tried to force it open.

“After she ran out screaming for help, the suspects grabbed a laptop which was lying inside the bedroom and fled.”

Ibhayi Town Lodge is part of the Lion Roars Group.

Lion Roars Group director Baden Swans said the group was currently  investigating  the incident.

“We are gathering all the information and have video footage of what transpired. This footage will be handed over to police,” he said.

Swans added their footage showed the men scaling the electric perimeter  fence – without touching it - from the neighbouring property.

“We are still looking into this matter and police are investigating how they got into the neighbouring property.

“All in all, they were in and out of our property within 10 minutes.”

Swans said their on-site security guard responded to the screams for help moments after the attack.

“He heard the commotion and gave chase. However, at that stage, they were  jumping over the same area of the wall, breaking the electric fencing.”

According to Swans, the guest was fine and was due to leave for Pretoria. “We are assisting police where we can and they have been on site.”

This is the second attack on a guesthouse in Walmer this year. 

In January, Mthethuvumile Mcopele, 31, allegedly tried to rob a father and son, aged 87 and 65, inside a flatlet at the Pine Tree Lodge and Guest House in Union Road.  

Mcopele, who was allegedly armed with a knife when he climbed through a bathroom window into the flatlet,  died during a scuffle with the two men, who are both from Gauteng.

One of the men’s cellphones was allegedly found in a Mcopele's jacket pocket.

Mcopele's  hands were tied behind his back and he was lying on a bed.

According to the postmortem, Mcopele died from “force to the neck” but police have declined to say if that meant he had been strangled.

Rheeder said the Mcopele inquest investigation was ongoing and  police were awaiting the toxicology report.

A case of robbery and theft is under investigation.