Skhoasty :
Man Who Broke Into Clinics, Government Offices and Police Stations to Steal Kettles So Government Employees Won’t Go on Tea Breaks Finally Arrested
Johannesburg — A 34-year-old man has finally been arrested after allegedly breaking into clinics, government offices and even police stations to steal one very specific item: kettles.
The suspect, known in community WhatsApp groups as “The Anti-Tea Terminator,” is believed to have targeted facilities across Gauteng in a bold attempt to end what he described as “the unofficial national sport of extended tea breaks.”
According to sources, the man began his mission shortly after spending six hours at a local clinic waiting for assistance.
“I arrived at 7am,” he told reporters while being escorted into a police van. “By 9am the nurses were on tea. At 10:30 they were back from tea. At 11 they were preparing for early lunch. I realised the real power in this country is not in Parliament — it’s in the kettle.”
Police confirmed that over 27 kettles, 14 extension cords and one suspiciously new box of Five Roses tea were recovered during the arrest.
An official from the Gauteng Department of Infrastructure, who asked not to be named because he was “currently on a short tea break,” said the kettle thefts had caused widespread disruption.
“You don’t understand,” he whispered nervously. “Without the kettle, morale drops. People are forced to work continuously. Files get processed. Phones get answered. It’s chaos.”
At one Home Affairs branch, staff reportedly had to boil water using a microwave. The resulting confusion allegedly led to three IDs being printed on time, sparking panic among senior management.
Even more shocking, the suspect allegedly broke into a local police station and removed the communal kettle from the charge office kitchen.
A police spokesperson confirmed the incident.
“Yes, it is true. The kettle was taken. Officers were forced to drink cold water for almost three hours. It was… a difficult time.”
In a dramatic twist, the suspect was eventually caught after attempting to steal a heavy-duty industrial kettle from a government building in central Johannesburg. Unfortunately for him, he was apprehende
2026-02-26 03:31:17