Pan-African Parliament Robbery Shakes Diplomatic Community
The Pan-African Parliament (PAP) offices, nestled within Gallagher Estate in Midrand, fell victim to a break-in by thieves over the weekend.
The incident left two diplomats shaken, prompting them to report business robbery and burglary cases at the Midrand police station on Monday. Upon their return from a weekend getaway, the diplomats were met with a disquieting sight – their office windows had been left wide open.
The burglary occurred just prior to the official opening of the Sixth Parliament’s ordinary session. The opening was graced by Justice and Correctional Services Minister Ronald Lamola, who delivered a keynote address on behalf of President Cyril Ramaphosa.
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Diplomats’ Valuables Stolen: Pan-African Parliament Robbery Details
One of the victims of this unfortunate break-in was Daniel Bucvane, a Mozambican diplomat. In his police statement, Bucvane reported the loss of a laptop valued at R64,000. He recounted leaving his office the previous Friday at around 5 p.m., making sure to secure his office windows and door. To his surprise, he returned to find his office window wide open, with documents scattered across the floor. Further inspection revealed the theft of his personal laptop, which he had left atop his office desk.
Kenney Ikechuku Emeana, a Nigerian diplomat, was also among the victims of the break-in. Emeana discovered the windows of his office wide open on Monday upon his return from an official assignment in Angola. The diplomat swiftly reported the matter to the Midrand police station. The thieves made off with some documents, a laptop, and other unmentioned items from Emeana’s office.
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Investigation Underway
At the time of reporting, no suspects had been identified, and it remained uncertain whether the CCTV cameras on the premises were operational during the burglaries. Emeana confirmed the report and explained that the stolen documents were stored in an envelope box. He was fortunate that he had travelled with his laptop on his official assignment. When questioned about the CCTV system, Emeana revealed that the cameras had been out of order for some time, suggesting that the culprits may have been aware of this issue.
