The incident can only be described as unheard of for Swakopmund, yet it is testimony to the aggression of burglars. Two men broke into the old age home and after their attack managed to get away with only N$4.
The incident transpired in the early hours of Wednesday last week. “It might have been my mistake, because I accidentally left the win-dow open,” said the 81 year-old pensioner in an interview with namib times. Even though the old age home is surrounded by an electric fence and has a security guard on duty 24 hours a day, this did not deter the burglars. “It seems they were in total three men,” the pensioner continued.
He recalled waking up on the said morning at about 1:30 when he heard a “strange noise in his living room.” “When I came out of my bedroom to investigate I saw two young men standing in the room. One was busy disconnecting my TV,” he said. He screamed at the men and one of the perpetrators immediately jumped out the window and ran off. One of the burglars was outside as a guard. The third man didn’t follow though. “He grabbed me by the arm and hit me once in the face,” the pensioner continued. When namib times visited the victim yesterday his entire right side of the face was still bloodshot and swollen – almost a week after the incident.
A scuffle ensured and the victim noticed the man wanting to grab something out of his pocket. “I grabbed his arm and kept asking him to leave the knife. What was I supposed to do as an old man?” he asked. The burglar kept saying “Where’s the money,” he recalled; and: “I didn’t have any money though. I only had a few coins I use to buy newspaper. It was about N$4.” The pensioner showed the burglar to the money which he grabbed. By that time the resident managed to get hold of the panic button. “After the alarm went off the man jumped through the window and ran off too,” he said.
“We took the resident to our frail care and he was treated by the nurses,” said Remy Moens, managing director at the Lions Old Age Home to namib times. Since the incident he has taken immediate steps to step up security at the entire complex. Forming part of this the electric fence will be upgraded. “The security of our residents is our first priority, which is why we have embarked on a few initiatives and upgrades,” Moens said.
The victim made a case of housebreaking, yet no arrest has been made to date.