In a deeply disturbing incident that has sent shockwaves through the community, armed robbers pretending to be police officers invaded a home in South Africa and subjected a young family to a terrifying ordeal, which included forcing a four-year-old girl into a washing machine.
The Terrifying Home Invasion in Hazelmere
The crime occurred in the early hours of Wednesday morning, December 31, 2025, in Hazelmere, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN). Four suspects arrived at the premises, impersonating officers from the South African Police Service (SAPS). Although they were dressed in civilian clothing, they allegedly displayed official SAPS name tags and badges to gain the victim's trust.
The 29-year-old mother, a Malawian national who operates a grocery tuck shop next to her residence, was falsely accused of drug dealing by the men. The situation quickly escalated when one suspect produced a firearm and another brandished a knife. The gang then proceeded to ransack both the family home and the adjacent shop.
A Horrifying Act of Cruelty Against a Child
During the chaotic robbery, the criminals' actions took an even more sinister turn. One of the suspects placed the woman's four-year-old daughter inside a washing machine and attempted to switch the appliance on. Fortunately, the attempt failed, and the child was not physically harmed. Her siblings, aged three and nine, were also present during the invasion but escaped physical injury.
The robbers made off with a haul of items, including approximately R200 in cash, an undisclosed amount of coins, a flash machine, a sack of cabbage, packs of Russian sausages, several cartons of cigarettes, and the victim's cellphone. The theft of her phone left her unable to contact authorities immediately for help.
Community Response and Previous Targeting
Alert community members later came to the woman's aid, and Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA) was contacted on Wednesday to respond to the crime. In a statement to the reaction officers, the victim revealed that this was not the first time she had been targeted. She informed them that she had also been robbed just days earlier, on December 26, 2025.
This repeated victimization and the extreme nature of the crime, particularly the act of endangering a small child, have highlighted serious concerns about safety and policing in the area. The incident serves as a grim reminder of the brutal tactics sometimes employed by criminals during home invasions.
