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The burglars reportedly break into houses in the early hours of the morning and target information communication technology devices such as plasma TV sets, laptops, decoders, Ipads, smart cellular phones and cash.

Some break windowpanes using boulders and fish out property they would have targeted from outside the windows while some use bolt cutters to gain entry.

Residents who spoke to Chronicle said they were irked by the spate of burglaries.

“Last week, some people hit my window with a stone at about 3am and stole our cellphones, which were on a chair next to the window. I was sleeping with my wife and we heard noise. As we woke up trying to figure out what was happening, I saw a hand and before I could even react, the person had fished out two phones from the chair. These things have been happening and we wonder why police are not doing anything,” said Mr Johnson Moyo, of Nkulumane 5.

Another man phoned from Brunapeg where he is working and said burglars had broken into his house in Emganwini twice in two weeks and on the second incident, raped his 15-year-old daughter in the process.

“Some people broke into my house and raped my daughter. I just received a call now and this is the second time my house has been broken into. Last week, some people stole a decoder and a cellphone. We have heard people talking about break-ins to their houses and this happens in the early hours of the day,” said the man.

“This is very painful because this time these people raped my daughter and did not take anything from the house. We suspect these people are from the same area because my daughter said soon after raping her, one of them told her that they were going to see her in the morning on her way to school.

“If they are people from afar, how would they have known that my daughter goes to school and that there are only women living in that house?”

The man said the suspected criminals used a bolt cutter to cut burglar bars to gain entry.

Police spokesperson for Bulawayo Metropolitan Province Inspector Mandlenkosi Moyo confirmed receiving a report about the alleged rape in Emganwini and said investigations were in progress.

“We are handling a case whereby an unknown man allegedly broke into a house in Emganwini suburb and raped a 15-year-old girl, who was sleeping in one of the rooms. The incident occurred in the early hours of 8 February and no arrest has been made so far,” said Insp  Moyo.

He urged people to report to the police whenever such incidents occur so that police would take some measures and apprehend suspects.