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Thieves hit Mbeki residence
07/05/2008 07:32 - (SA)
Virginia Keppler, Beeld
Pretoria - Over the long weekend burglars climbed into the roof of President Thabo Mbeki's official residence Mahlambandlovu on the Bryntirion Estate in Government Avenue in Pretoria.
They stole between R20 000 and R30 000's worth of aluminium.
The 10mm aluminium wire which had been installed in the roof over the past three weeks, formed part of a network of the house's electronic fittings, including closed-circuit television cameras and computer systems, that was designed to protect the house against lightning.
Kevin Bredenkamp of Ubani, the contractors who were supposed to install the aluminium cables, left the premises on Tuesday because he deemed it unsafe.
President was sleeping
"We withdrew until we knew it was safe and that things wouldn't be stolen again," Bredenkamp said.
He said that the robbery must have taken place between Friday night and Monday night but was only discovered on Tuesday morning.
"We couldn't climb on the roof (on Sunday) morning because the president was still sleeping and we were instructed to come back (on Tuesday)," one of the workers, Philip van Schalkwyk, said on Tuesday.
He said that when they had wanted to continue their task on Tuesday morning, they were shocked to discover that all the aluminium which they had installed over the past three weeks had been stolen.
Bredenkamp said that when Van Schalkwyk had wanted to report the incident to the police station on the premises, he had been told rather to report it to the Sunnyside police station.
"They said it wasn't their responsibility."
Bredenkamp reported the case at the Sunnyside police station on Tuesday.
Beeld was in possession of the case number.
Bredenkamp said that the guards at the gate inspected their vehicles thoroughly every day before they were allowed to enter the premises.
"But (the vehicles) are never searched when we drive out which probably means that none of the cars which drive out are searched," he added.
"If the thieves can do this, then it means they could hit the president over the head, roll him up in a blanket and drive out of there without anyone noticing."
Mbeki had been on a State visit to Qatar in the Arabian Peninsula since Tuesday.
Presidential spokesperson Mukoni Ratshitanga told Beeld via telephone from Qatar that he knew nothing of the incident.
"Any kind of theft is a matter for the police."
Ratshitanga said, "It doesn't matter that the incident occurred at the president's home."
He could not confirm whether the president had been at home.
Police spokesperson Mirna van Beneke confirmed on Tuesday night that a case of theft was being investigated.
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