A 14-year-old boy has been handed over to the police after breaking into a Hazelmere home on Saturday.
However, it was not a routine burglary as the teenager stopped to cook himself a quick meal.
The homeowner returned while the boy was still in the kitchen, prompting a call to a local private security company.
Frying eggs
The boy is alleged to have broken into the home by removing the metal security gate before forcing open the front door.
After rummaging through the home, the 14-year-old decided it was the right time to make himself breakfast.
“When the homeowner arrived, he found the boy inside the house frying eggs,” stated Prem Balram from Reaction Unit South Africa (Rusa).
“Rusa was contacted for assistance, and reaction officers arrived to find the home ransacked,” he added.
The homeowner informed the responding officers that the boy had attempted to steal clothing and food, and neighbours reported it was not an isolated incident.
“Residents informed officers that the teenager is known in the area for previous housebreaking incidents,” Balram explained.
Over 40 000 burglaries in three months
The South African Police Service recorded 31 224 burglaries at residential premises nationally between July and September, as well as 10 752 at non-residential premises.
Nine stations from KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) appeared in the list of the top 30 stations with the highest number of residential burglary cases, the highest of any province.
While Gauteng had the highest number of overall residential burglaries in the last reported quarter, with 6 137, KZN was second with 5 283.
Food poverty
Food poverty and malnutrition have increased in recent years, according to the 2024 South African Early Childhood Review.
The report showed that nationally, the portion of children living in households below the poverty line had increased from 33% in 2018 to 39% in 2022.
Additionally, the share of children under six living in households without any employed adults increased from 29% to 32%.
“The effects of poverty and food insecurity are not only reflected in child malnutrition and high stunting rates, but are also likely to exacerbate stress and poor mental health among their mothers, with further consequences for the well-being of their young children,” the report notes.
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