No arrests, despite chilling threats made against Bay councillor
A slashed tyre, a knife stabbed into the driver’s seat of a car, and a brick thrown onto the roof of her vehicle — these are some of the tactics used to threaten DA Ward 5 councillor Terri Stander.
Stander, who operates in crime-plagued Central, which is part of Ward 5, has been at the forefront of the evictions in abandoned buildings that were occupied by vagrants, criminals and sometimes gang members.
She has received several threats since she became a councillor in March 2021, with some of the incidents reported to the police but no action taken.
“I have had three direct threats to my life and many implicit threats such as a knife being carefully placed on the front seat of my car, the roof of my car smashed with a brick and the right rear tyre of my vehicle stabbed.”
Stander said strangers had come to her home to give her messages that she should not try “change things” or evict people from the hijacked buildings because she was putting herself in danger.
“I was told a gangster could arrange to have me killed, so I approached the person to ask that no attempt be made on my life as my son is adopted and he has no other family and I am just trying to do my job.”
Tired of the threats, Stander opened a criminal case against a businesswoman who visited her office looking for a proof of address form.
“She swore and [allegedly] threatened me and my staff after she did not get the form because she did not meet the requirements.
“She proceeded [allegedly] to steal a blank form that was stamped and signed, which makes it an official document that could lead to false information provided to institutions.”
Stander reported the matter to the police, along with the other threats.
“I have reported these threats on several occasions when I had an encounter with community members, but noone seems to be interested.”
Police spokesperson Priscilla Naidu said that a case of theft had been opened earlier this month after a proof of address form was allegedly stolen.
“The complainant alleges that two females came to her office and upon interviewing
them, she informed them that one of the women did not meet the requirements for a proof of address letter.”
Naidu said the women allegedly refused to leave and the complainant left to attend to other people.
“When she returned to her office, she noticed one of the women running out with a blank form in her hand. The form had the stamp of a councillor on it.
“The matter is still under investigation.”
Naidu was unable to confirm the other threats made against Stander.
Stander said some of the threats were made when she told illegally operating panel beaters to remove their material from the street and that she would call the metro to impound the vehicles.
“The man told me my full name and said he knew where I lived and said my address.
“He said I should not interfere with their business and that they would have to take steps if I did,” she said.
In another incident, she had been walking down Parliament
Street when she spoke to people selling bottles of traditional medicines without a permit.
“When I asked that they pack up, within seconds I had about seven tall men surround me, shouting, telling me that this was their area, they know who I am, and that as a single mother, I should consider the consequences of ‘harassing’ them,” she said.
Another incident that got Stander into trouble was when she tried to stop construction from taking place at a heritage building after a notice was issued by the city but ignored by the owner.
“When I told him the pavement was public property, he turned about and asked if he must bring his guys, and when I said he should bring them, he took a photograph of me and said ‘you’ll see, we’ll see’.”
She said the threats showed how much crime there was in Ward 5 and she wanted to highlight the inadequate response to crime in the area by the police.
“I am told crime statistics for this area are low compared with elsewhere.
“This is not true, the crime statistics are low because people do not report crime.
“They tell me they don’t report because they have no faith in the police and this adds to the problem.
“People are victims of crime daily muggings, theft out of motor vehicles and the stripping of metal from properties.
“I don’t want my people living in fear or relocating, or businesses closing down.
“I can’t understand why crime continues so blatantly, and why it is so hard to get this ward safer,” Stander said.