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TUESDAY 23 August 2016 | Tel: 021 910 6500 | Email: post@peoplespost.co.za | Website: www.peoplespost.co.za
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People’s Post
Home is where the heart is A jovial 68yearold George Saliti could not contain his joy when he became a firsttime homeowner on Wednesday 17 August. Saliti, who is blind, received a home in the Thembelihle Housing Project in Pelican Park. From Makhaza, Khayelitsha, Saliti receives a government grant, but performs with his accordion at local shopping malls. He had been on the housing waiting list for about 20 years before receiving his home through the Western Cape Human Settle ments Department. Read more on page 3. PHOTO: CHEVON BOOYSEN
GRASSY PARK
Centre for blind a target
CHEVON BOOYSEN @ChevonBooysen
A
facility to serve the visually impaired has been the target of criminal activity for the third time in three weeks. The League of Friends of the Blind (Lofob) centre, on the corners of Klip Road and First Avenue, has become victim to opportunistic criminals last week. Lofob CEO Armand Bam says: “It is rather depressing news but we are at a loss with how to address it. “The community needs to be made aware that this situation is getting out of hand and we fear for the lives of our staff and clients
as it seems these efforts are escalating. We have experienced three break-ins since Monday 25 July – one per week.” He explains during the first incident the suspect(s) “climbed a drain pipe alongside the building gaining entry to a window on the second floor of the building”. “In the second incident two thieves broke the lock to our main gate and then gained entry through a door by force. The most recent incident which took place at 04:00 on Wednesday 18 August followed the same forceful entry pattern,” Bam says. He confirms all three incidents occurred at the Lofob residence, housing more than 30 blind people and daily providing them
with accommodation and meals while they participate in their independence development programmes. “The latest attempt was the most brazen as the thieves tried to break the lock at the gate, but failed. “They then scaled the wall and used a crowbar to gain entry to the front door and walked through the residence and out one of the other exits,” he says. Criminals got away with items on the first two incidents. “The first incident affected one of our clients whose voice recorder and clothes with sentimental value were stolen. The device was used to record notes for exams which
are now lost. In the second incident two mobile phones of staff members on-site were taken. Fortunately they were not in the rooms and no-one was harmed. We haven’t identified anything stolen in the third incident as yet, but it has left staff and clients visibly traumatised and having to receive counselling. Staff members had taken cover in a cupboard calling the police while the thieves tried to gain entry to their room,” he says. Bam says police arrived to take statements and provide case numbers at the first two break-ins “but offered no hope of apprehending any suspects”. V Continued on page 4.