Armed gang robs a creche in Khayelitsha

Chairperson of the QQ Community Crèche in Site B, Nokwandisa Fukula, said she had just returned from withdrawing her staff’s monthly wages when the incident occurred.

The crèche, which caters for 76 children aged between three-months-old and six, was started in 2009 after parents in the area raised money to build it.

“A man wearing a blue top came in and we thought he was coming to fetch one of the children. One of the teachers felt a tap on her shoulder and when she turned around, another guy was pointing a gun at her. A third man also holding a gun stood in the doorway,” she said.

Fukula said the men immediately demanded money. “They said someone told them that I had money on me. It was the children’s sleeping time, but when we starting making a noise, they all woke up and saw what was happening. The men searched us and our bags which is where they found the money. They also took all our IDs and cellphones,” she said.

Before escaping on foot between the surrounding shacks, Fukula said the men locked them inside the small crèche and threw the key near the door.

“They got away with about R12,000 which was meant to pay the six teachers and pay for repairs we were going to do this weekend. Winter is coming and our ceiling boards are falling and the roof needs to be patched up,” she said.

Teacher Nomalizo Mzamo says she was still shaken by the incident. “How did they know we would have all that money here? They came and did this in front of the children. It’s not right. We don’t know what will happen to our families now because we needed that money. Some of us don’t know where we will get our next meal now.”

The crèche has appealed to the public to assist with any donations:
Nedbank Khayelitsha Mall
QQ Section Childrens Committee
Account: 2723026264
Branch code: 172305.

Note: If you bank with FNB and you wish to make an EFT into the above bank account, you must specify that it is a savings account. This might apply to other banks too.