GEORGE NEWS - Life Community Services has cancelled their Life Community Market for this coming Saturday, 26 October, after suffering extensive damage and losses during two burglaries.
Wooden toys that were going to be sold as well as all the ingredients for pancakes to be baked and sold at the market were among a long list of stolen goods. Damage to the security camera system amounts to R46 000. Some of the cameras were stolen.
The safe was broken into, door locks were broken off, windows were smashed, damage was caused to buildings and items were strewn around for no apparent reason. The first break-in took place at the Life Village in Fiskaal Street, Conville, on Wednesday night, 16 October, and the second at the Life Cradock Street office on Friday night, 18 October.
A female suspect was arrested on the Cradock Street premises. She has apparently identified a male accomplice. It is unsure if he has been located. At the time of going to print, the police had not responded to queries regarding the incidents.
"The damage is extensive and we are trying to recover. We are still trying to figure out all that was stolen from the Life Village at Conville," said CEO Maryna de Vries.
The safe was broken into.
"There is no way we could go ahead with the market. The windows are still out, walls broken, and ingredients for meals as well as for pancakes were stolen. At the office in Cradock Street, it was petty theft. They took wooden and stuffed toys we had to sell at the market, a slow-cooker, sugar, tea, coffee, teasets, soaps and scrubbies, etc. The damage was unbelievable.
"They chopped a hole in the side of one of the buildings and stole everything they could. It is so sad. We lost shade-cloth and cash, and our whole camera system has been compromised."
She said the police has not reported back to Life regarding the two incidents. "We have had several break-ins in recent months and we have not had any feedback on any one of them. We want answers now. We are vulnerable. I know police is overwhelmed and discouraged because when they arrest someone, the culprits will probably be let out on bail, but where does that leave us?"
De Vries said they suspect that someone who had helped with Life's move to their new premises in August was involved. "It was someone who knew the property. They knew exactly what to do and where the wires were, which wires to cut and where the alarm was. They had ample opportunity to loot and cause damage."
More information regarding the arrest and the other suspect is being awaited from the police.
Buildings were damaged.
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