Cape Town - A top Cape Town lawyer and his family are traumatised after five armed intruders invaded their Camps Bay home just before 1.30pm on Tuesday.
Lawyer Barnabas Xulu, whose high-profile clients include suspended Judge President of the Western Cape High Court Yahya Hlophe, was out of the country on business when the incident occurred.
Police spokesperson FC van Wyk said: “Five males entered the house. One was armed with a knife and another had a firearm. Two male domestics were locked up in the toilet and not harmed in any way.”
He said the thieves got away with electronic devices, jewellery and expensive designer clothes.
Van Wyk said there were no further leads yet.
During a telephone interview, Xulu said that while he was grateful neither his wife Mbali nor their children were at home during the incident, his wife has been left badly shaken.
The only people at the house were the gardener and a domestic worker, while the other domestic worker had gone to fetch the Xulu children from school.
Xulu said he felt that he and his family had been targeted as they had only occupied the rental property for two weeks while their home in Fresnaye was being renovated.
He said he suspected the thieves had heard or read about one of his recent cases involving the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment in which there was talk of his having received R20 million.
Asked how the robbers had gained entry, Xulu said apparently the gardener had opened the garage door to step outside and the robbers used that entry.
He said he was worried that if the family had been targeted, the robbers had watched him leave the house on Monday for his trip and knew his wife and children were alone.
Xulu, who was forced to cut his trip short by the incident, said: “My family comes first, no matter how powerful and immune these criminals are. So I have to cut this trip short. I have a very bad feeling being away from home at such a time. It’s a feeling of helplessness.”