UITENHAGE - SUSPECTS CAUGHT RED HANDED TRYING TO STEAL ICONIC CANNON FROM CANNON HILL

A cannon weighing more than 2 000kg was rescued in the nick of time by a passerby who spotted thieves trying to cart it away in broad daylight on Cannon Hill in Uitenhage – where it had previously overlooked the town for more than a century.

It is now locked away in an undisclosed location after a citizen’s arrest led to its recovery, and municipal officials must find a way to secure the 1.15m piece of history.

There is also confusion over whether anyone will face charges.

Vandals have laid waste to the historical monument over the years, with graffiti painted on the walls of the King George V monument. The 18th-century cannon is not the only large item targeted by thieves, with four cast-iron gates at the entrance to the monument stolen two years ago.

The gates, more than 60 years old, were never found.

Municipal spokesman Mthubanzi Mniki said: “The cannon was stolen last month.

“The thieves were arrested in Uitenhage, with the cannon intact.”

VIA - heraldlive.co.za