Thugs rule town
‘These days, you don’t know if you’re going to make it back home alive’
BRAZEN criminals have taken over the once flourishing Central Business District (CBD) of Isipingo, south of Durban, where store owners and their customers are increasingly under attack from armed robbers, hijackers and petty thieves.
They are pouncing on businesses almost every day – shooting, stabbing and physically assaulting their victims without mercy.
Day or night, many of the criminals manage to escape and are most likely to strike again.
The business community is fed up and are calling on the police to step up their game and for senior management in the force to come up with strategies to curb rampant crime plaguing the area.
One resident believes the situation has become so bad, that he would feel safer if the army was brought in.
“Business robberies have become daily routines for criminals and the local drug addicts are constantly robbing shops and customers or looting delivery vehicles that come into the area,” said Isipingo Business Forum chairman Junaid Iqbal.
“Customers are afraid to come into the CBD as they no longer feel safe.”
Isipingo resident Kuban Appavoo, 79, said shopping in the town was not an option.
He has chosen to shop elsewhere, where he believes is safe, for fear of being robbed, hijacked or worst, shot at.
“Isipingo is no longer the town where you can walk freely at any hour. I have been a resident here for over 45 years and have never lived in such fear until a couple of years ago.
“We used to visit the local cinema or shop at midnight and we were never attacked. But now, you cannot walk from your car to the shop entrance without a thief waiting to pounce on you.”
He continued: “Shops are robbed, people are hijacked, stabbed or shot. These criminals are not afraid. They don’t fear the police or getting caught. They will kill you.
“I refuse to shop in the CBD anymore. Despite it being an inconvenience, I would rather go to another area. I will not take a chance and jeopardise my life and that of my family.”
Appavoo believes visible security is required, but ideally, he said, the army should be summoned to take back the town.
Malls Electrical and Hardware, which has operated in the town for three decades, have come under armed attack three times in the past seven months.
Shop manager Raveen Maharaj said it had become norm to look over his shoulder almost every minute. “These criminals are bold,” he said. “Over 10 armed men have stormed into the shop and were ready to shoot if they didn’t get what they want. We have security guards but these men come in big numbers with dangerous weapons. By the time we press the panic button to alert the security company they have already fled. Although we do see police patrolling at times, they are not easily accessed. They need to spend more time in the CBD than at the station.”
Maharaj continued: “Businessmen are getting shot and are left for dead. We are terrified to come to work each day and are constantly looking over our shoulders. Sadly, we have to treat every person that comes into the shop as a suspect. We don’t want to live like this anymore.”
He said over the past few years, he has witnessed innocent people being robbed on the streets, shot and killed.
“These men are targeting us (businesses). They have no remorse for their actions. Earlier this year, a businessman a few doors away was robbed for thousands, but they didn’t stop there, they riddled his body with bullets,” said Maharaj.
He and others could not simply shut up shop, he said, as they had families to support.
Being a woman in the business world is tough on its own but for Salma Amod Sadek operating in Isipingo is 10 times worse.
Sadek, who has owned Mrs Hardware for 20 years, was struck across the head with a butt of a gun by robbers who demanded cash.
“We have already been robbed three times this year and each time they made off with a large amount of money and goods. As a woman owning a shop, it is scary as we are more vulnerable. I dread opening my shop. Not only am I afraid for my life but that of my employees but this is how we survive.
“We have security, but what can just one or two guards do? If they fight the robbers, they will be killed.”
She added that customers were afraid to shop in the CBD and were going elsewhere.
“So what do we now do? Who do we turn to? We need some sort of action from our local police.”
Roy Somaye, the owner of Roops General Dealers, was attacked by three armed men while entering his vehicle outside his shop earlier this month. The 55-year-old, who was rushed to hospital, sustained a skull fracture and received 16 stitches.
“These days, you don’t know if you are going to make it back home alive,” he said.
Somaye closed his store at about 7.30pm and was about to jump into his car, to head home, when the men ran towards him, screaming they wanted his car keys.
“At first, I thought they were joking. I had refused and tried to jump into the car. That’s when one of them took out a gun and struck me on my head. The next thing, I felt blood dripping down my face.
“A friend, who witnessed the incident, rushed to my aid and they then turned the gun on him, so he had to step away. They then jumped into my car and sped away with no remorse. They will shoot and walk away free, yet we are forced to suffer in pain and lose our valuables we work so hard for.”
Isipingo Community Policing Forum chairman Aidan David said they were working with the Isipingo SAPS and had a number of crime combating strategies in the pipeline.
“Previously, with the rotation of station commanders at the Isipingo police station, there was no accountability taken by any senior officer and this led to criminal elements taking over our community.
“However, with a new station commander, Colonel Harris Mfanufikile Jali, there have already been inroads to positively identifying crime hotspots in the area,” assures David.
Officers have been conducting foot patrols throughout the business district, which are welcomed by business owners and patrons of Isipingo CBD.
Many crime prevention strategies are being put in place, which will in turn eradicate crime in future and make business owners and patrons feel safer.
Provincial police spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Thulani Zwane confirmed there is a Trio Crime Task Team that is directly dealing with business robberies, house robberies and hijacking in the province.
They have been given new vehicles that will help in the execution of their duties which include, identifying and arresting people accused of assault, burglary, petty theft, larceny, car-jacking and murder, as well as response to the distresses of residents.
“The cluster and station is also assisting in increasing visibility and patrols in those affected areas. In terms of the army being called in, we cannot comment. However, we have enough police officers who are monitoring that area. The K9 unit and other police units are also assisting.”
The SANDF’s head of communications, Siphiwe Dlamini said this was a policing matter.
“The community must refer criminal activities to the police.”