Cape Town - Ten suspects have been arrested and some stolen items recovered, after the offices of relief organisation Gift of the Givers (GOTG) was ransacked.
GOTG project manager Ali Sablay confirmed that some items had been recovered. The arrests came hours after the distressing discovery was made.
“The police are not going to divulge any further details until they get to the mastermind behind this or the syndicate behind it, but I can confirm that a number of arrests have been made and some of the items have been recovered.”
Sablay positively identified some of the items at the Lansdowne Police Station, stolen from their offices.
“We can confirm that all the items at the police station were 100% GOTG items so more arrests are imminent. All credit due to the community who immediately started giving addresses and information to GOTG offices and the police and we expect more arrests to be made soon.”
GOTG’s two-story office building in Penlyn Estate was found completely ransacked when it opened for business at 8:30 on Monday morning.
The front door was busted open, and boxes strewn everywhere, previously holding essential clothing items and medical supplies meant for the poorest of the poor.
Intruders are believed to have jumped the walls as scurried shoe marks were evident, presumably using a crowbar to force their way into the building.
Significant damage was done to cupboards and other furniture, with attempts to remove the oven, bathroom taps and plugs.
Some of the stolen items included a Dell laptop and PC, TV, microwave, kettle, radio, gas tank, bathroom mirrors, chairs, awards, and even items such as sugar, teabags and coffee.
“The laptop that was stolen downstairs, that is for people that come register for a wheelchair, people that come register for help for food, school children that need school uniforms, all that information is on the laptop… schools who need help in terms of toilets, feeding schemes, soup kitchens, everything is on there. So they’re not only stealing from us, they’re robbing the communities from getting help so it’s sad, very very sad.”
The team was preparing clothing items for the several fire victims, but the clothing was stolen.
GOTG has occupied the building for 10 years, and had never experienced a break-in, however several neighbours had.
Sablay said there was an air of respect for the building and the work carried out from within those walls. Sadly, that has changed.
Some of the items of sentimental value stolen included awards from schools in acknowledgement of the phenomenal work done by the organisation, as well as a one of a kind massive print with the GOTG logo on it.
Sablay said it required four people to put up the print at its offices.
Neighbours believe the incident could have occurred during load shedding at either 10pm-12am or 4am to 6am.
Lansdowne Community Policing Forum chairperson Rafique Poflonker said: “In terms of our response, we are completely outraged that people would target GOTG who benefit the community in such a big way.”
Poflonker said police had been receiving tip-offs from community members and were following up on those leads. He further encouraged the community to come forward with any information.
Police spokesperson Frederick Van Wyk said a joint operation was conducted after information was received that four premises in Hanover Park were storing the stolen property.
The premises were searched and some items recovered.
Ten suspects (men and women) aged between 20 and 40 were arrested for possession of suspected stolen property and detained at Philippi Police Station for further investigation.