Metal Fence with sharp spikes on top for security
A burglar bled to death in the early hours of Wednesday morning in Pretoria after he was impaled on the spikes of a palisade fence as he fled from a house he had tried to break into.
A Wonderboompoort resident had a rude awakening on Wednesday morning when he discovered what appeared to be clothes stuck to the palisade fence and a suspect rolling on the ground.
Burglar stuck on fence
Tshwane district Saps spokesperson Captain Johan van Dyk confirmed a case of housebreaking and theft has been opened.
Van Dyk said an inquest docket will be registered to investigate the circumstances of the death of the suspect in Wonderboompoort in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
“The 54-year-old complainant reported that on 6 May at approximately 3.40am, he was awakened by his dogs barking. He proceeded to the lounge area, as the dogs were barking in the direction of the window,” said Van Dyk.
“Upon arrival, he noticed that the window was open and heard movement outside, although no person was visible.
“The complainant then took his remote control and went outside to investigate. He observed items of clothing caught on top of the palisade fence.
Suspect lying on the ground
“He activated his panic button, which alerted private security.”
Van Dyk said that as the complainant exited through the gate, he noticed a man lying on the ground bleeding.
“At that stage, the individual was still alive and appeared to be attempting to roll on the ground. The complainant stated that he did not make any physical contact with the individual. Security personnel arrived on the scene shortly thereafter. The complainant then returned to the house to assess what property had been stolen.
“Emergency Medical Services were contacted immediately. Upon assessment, the individual was declared dead at the scene,” he added.
Van Dyk said two MacBook laptops and an iPhone 14 were stolen during the break-in.
House break-ins problem in area
“House break-ins are being reported and it is a general problem in the area,” he added.
According to the latest crime statistics of the third quarter of the 2025-26 year, theft at residential premises decreased by 13.8% from 6 259 in the same period in the previous year to 5 450.
University of Limpopo criminology and criminal justice head of department Prof Witness Maluleka said socioeconomic factors such as extremely high unemployment, poverty and inequality, amongst others, directly and largely contribute to housebreaking in South Africa.
“This is often used as a way of making quick money. The affluent areas are mostly targeted owing to the notion that they house valuable items, as seen with this case,” said Maluleka.
Criminals are calculating in their movements and they target houses or locations owned by the upper- and middle-income groups.
Criminals calculating movements
Poorer neighbourhoods are disregarded. Criminals also identify areas with low police presence, presenting less chances of being caught.
Maluleka said that generally, houses with high walls and maximum security, including barbed wire and dogs, often attract criminals.
“We are not safe in our houses built with our hard-earned money, while buying expensive items, only to be taken by criminals for the sake of feeding drug cravings and survival,” he said.
