Waterloo Man Assaulted After Returning Stolen Phone In KZN

A man in Waterloo, KwaZulu-Natal, was left with a severe head injury after being attacked for returning a stolen cellphone. According to Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA), officers were called to Hippo Road around 21:20 on Monday, where they found the victim bleeding from an open head wound.

The victim explained that earlier in the day he had been drinking at a local tavern when a woman accidentally dropped her phone. Instead of returning it, he picked it up and hid it.

CCTV Footage Exposes Theft

Hours later, the device owner came back to the tavern to review surveillance footage. The video revealed the man taking the cellphone. Recognising him immediately, the owner and a group of people confronted him.

The man admitted to selling the phone but promised to recover it. “He confirmed that he sold the mobile device, but will make arrangements to have it returned,” RUSA reported. The group warned him that if he failed to return the phone within a set timeframe, they would burn down his home.

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The victim eventually retrieved the stolen phone and handed it back. However, instead of resolving the matter, he was assaulted by the owner and several community members. He fled to a nearby residence for safety, where residents contacted the RUSA Operations Centre for help.

The injured man was taken privately to a medical facility for treatment.

Editor’s Note: This story was originally published with a graphic photo of the injured victim. The image has since been removed to protect sensitive readers.

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