A Mfuleni family says they were deliberately kept asleep while thieves stole their prized white MK1 Golf in the early hours of Tuesday morning — after suspects allegedly burned a substance at the entryways of the house, leaving scorch marks on doors and a lingering smell that forced the family to open windows to clear the air.
The theft, which unfolded before 2am in Inkonjane Street, Extension 3, has left the household shaken and fearful, with the couple convinced the perpetrators planned the crime carefully and knew exactly how to access the property. Police have confirmed a case of theft of a motor vehicle has been opened and say the vehicle has not yet been recovered.
According to the family, they did not wake up to the sound of an intruder or a car being moved. Instead, they were alerted only after a neighbour intervened — banging on their door after noticing suspicious activity and reportedly seeing men towing the vehicle out of the yard.
The wife described the moment they realised something was wrong and how, despite living lightly enough to wake easily, they heard nothing.
“Our neighbour came knocking on the door past two in the morning, saying that he heard noises and dogs barking.
“When he checked, he said he saw the guys busy towing the vehicle out of the yard.
“We did not hear anything, and we are not heavy sleepers; ons slaap nie so vas nie.
“My husband and the neighbour got in his car and drove around to see if they could spot the car because a car that is being towed is not that fast. But they saw nothing.
“The footprints in the yard show that it was multiple people. It is open here by us and we are trying to buy some blocks.
“We have a steel gate that you can put on and take off again, so it must be people who are familiar with the gate because they took it off like we normally do and towed out the car.
“If it were other people, they would not have known how the gate works.”
Her account points to two central concerns: first, that the suspects had the time and confidence to tow a vehicle out of a yard without waking the occupants; and second, that the method of entry suggests familiarity with the home’s layout and security measures. The family’s description of a removable steel gate — and their belief that it was taken off “like we normally do” — has fuelled their suspicion that the perpetrators may have been watching the property, or had insider knowledge of how the gate functions.
The husband, describing what he believes happened inside the home, said “medicine” was used to keep the family asleep. He told the Daily Voice the substance had been burned as part of the theft, and that the evidence was still visible on the doors.
He told the Daily Voice: “They used kwaai medisyne which they burned to come in and keep us asleep.
“There are burn marks on the top and sides of the door. They planned this so well.
“That stuff stank so much, we had to open the windows and the doors to get the smell out of the house.
“The policeman asked if we had fought with anyone because the other neighbours’ cars were standing outside, but they came for our MK1 Golf.
“We are living in fear and are traumatised because when people do this kind of stuff, they don’t come empty-handed, so we are not safe.”
His statement captures the family’s sense that the theft was not random — that the suspects specifically targeted their car, bypassing other vehicles in the area. It also speaks to a broader fear that when criminals are willing to enter a property at night, and allegedly use substances to incapacitate occupants, the line between theft and violent crime can blur quickly.
The family’s anxiety is compounded by the idea that they were asleep while unknown people moved around their home. Even though the immediate crime was the theft of a vehicle, the psychological impact is often deeper: a fear that the house is no longer safe, that offenders can return, or that the same tactics could be used again. The husband’s reference to criminals not coming “empty-handed” also hints at the looming possibility of weapons being involved, even if none were displayed.
For police, the key task now will be to establish what was burned, whether it can be identified through forensic testing, and whether the burn marks and smell described by the family align with any known methods used in housebreaking and vehicle theft. Police will also need to test the family’s suspicion that the suspects were familiar with the gate and property, which could involve taking statements, checking who may have had access or knowledge of the home, and reviewing any CCTV footage in the area.
Provincial police spokesperson Constable Ndakhe Gwala confirmed the case and said the investigation is under way.
Gwala said: “This office confirms that Mfuleni police registered a theft of motor vehicle case after a white Golf was stolen at Inkonjane Street, Extension 3, Mfuleni on Tuesday, 7 July 2026.
“The circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation and the vehicle is yet to be recovered.”
Police are appealing for assistance from the public, particularly anyone who may have seen a car being towed in the area, noticed suspicious activity before dawn, or has information about the vehicle’s whereabouts.
Police are appealing to anyone with information to contact Mfuleni detectives on 021 909 9500 or call Crime Stop on 08600 10111 regarding the white MK1 Golf with registration number CF 343-208.
For the family, the focus is now on recovery — of their car and their sense of security. The wife’s description of an open yard and plans to buy blocks suggests that physical security upgrades are being considered, but their experience also highlights a challenge faced by many households: even as communities invest in gates, fences and alarms, criminals adapt — sometimes using the element of sleep and silence as the biggest vulnerability.
As the investigation continues, residents in Mfuleni will be watching closely for arrests and the recovery of the Golf, while the family waits for answers about who entered their yard, how they did it so quietly, and whether the people who stole their vehicle are, as they suspect, closer to home than they ever imagined.
