Thefts from stokvels – some of them inside jobs – have been highlighted following the arrest of a Jeffreys Bay woman who allegedly made off with R90,000 from a stokvel of which she was treasurer.
On Thursday, police warned stokvel members to be more vigilant with cash, especially while carrying large amounts, to avoid possible robberies.
This follows the reporting of three stokvel-related robberies since the beginning of December.
Uitenhage police spokesperson Sergeant Majola Nkohli said the treasurer of the stokvel had been nabbed after a fellow stokvel member opened a case of theft.
Nkohli said members of the stokvel had met monthly and handed over their contributions to the treasurer.
“On Friday December 14 one of the stokvel club members opened a case of theft after he and other members realised the stokvel treasurer did not make any deposits into the club account for the past 11 months,” Nkohli said.
“The missing amount is estimated to be around R91‚690.”
After the stokvel member’s complaint, police realised that the treasurer had been reported missing, on December 11, by her husband.
“On Monday December 17 the 38-year-old suspect reported to the Graaff-Reinet police station‚ where she gave reasons for her questionable ‘disappearance’.
“Two days later police arrested her,” Nkohli said.
Nkohli said Nombulelo Mxakana was granted R1,000 bail after she briefly appeared in the Humansdorp Magistrate’s Court on Thursday in connection with theft charges.
Her case was postponed to January 21 for further investigation. In another incident, Nkohli said two armed suspects allegedly entered a home in Matanzima Road, Kwa Nobuhle, on December 2, where a group of about 10 people were busy counting stokvel money.
According to Nkohli, the suspects threatened the group and demanded the cash.
“The suspects took an undisclosed amount of cash and a cellphone, and no-one sustained any injuries during the robbery,” he said.
In another incident, a 28year-old woman alleged that on December 3 she was walking in Rich Street, Uitenhage, when an unknown man snatched her bag and ran away.
She had stokvel money in her bag.
Police said a passerby who witnessed the incident gave chase and tried to overpower the suspect.
“It is believed that a second suspect armed with a firearm accosted the two while they were tussling over the bag.”
Nkohli said the suspect had shot the passerby, wounding him.
Police are investigating a case of robbery with aggravating circumstances and attempted murder.
Nkohli advised stokvel members not to advertise when payouts would be made, to avoid robberies.
Acting Uitenhage cluster commander Brigadier Ronald Koll also pleaded with the business community to beef up their security, to make use of drop safes and to alter their days and ways of banking.
“We will be intensifying our police visibility and strengthening our partnership with the community in the fight against crime during this period.”
Koll said business owners, home owners and security companies should be more vigilant and report any suspicious behaviour immediately to their local police station.