Upsurge in violent crime
Attacks on elderly by gangs
THREE brutal attacks on elderly people which saw them being beaten by armed gangs has raised alarm among suburban communities, particularly in La Lucia and Durban North, which have seen an upsurge in crime.
This comes on the back of the crime statistics released this week which saw increases in KwaZulu-Natal in violent and contact crimes, including murder, house and business robberies and hijacking.
An elderly couple in Pinetown yesterday became the latest victims.
According to Blue Security community and media liaison officer Andreas Mathios, four armed suspects lay hidden in the garden before ambushing the owner as he walked from the main house to an outbuilding.
“The owner was accosted by the suspects and they frogmarched him back to the main house, severely beating him with bottles and their fists, demanding cash, valuables and firearms,” said Mathios.
The homeowner was taken into the main bedroom where the gang grabbed his wife and “started to throttle her”, added Mathios.
They ransacked the house for valuables which they loaded into the couple’s car and smashed through the front gate as they left in the vehicle.
The couple’s son said they did not want to be identified, but confirmed his parents had been taken to hospital.
Neighbourhood Watch members arrived at the scene, with Johan Joubert from Manors Neighbourhood Watch describing the vicious attack on the couple as “unacceptable”.
“We do get housebreakings and theft of motor vehicles, but this is the first time there has been a violent attack,” said Joubert.
Hendrik Meyer, from Ashley Neighbourhood Watch, said: “Every night there is an incident in our area – whether it’s an attempted hijacking in a driveway or gates being lifted. A lot of the residents targeted are elderly.”
In La Lucia there have been been two attacks on elderly people in the past week. Last Saturday night a couple in their 70s were assaulted and robbed by a gang of five armed men, one with an AK47 weapon, at their home in Gainsford Place. The criminals used a hammer to break down the front gate before assaulting the couple.
On Tuesday, five armed men stormed into a property owned by Durban businessman Thoshan Panday at about lunchtime.
While Panday declined to comment, an elderly resident at the property confirmed she had been hit on the side of the face during the attack. One member of the gang stood guard outside the property armed with an assault rifle.
Yesterday Marshall Security spokesperson Kyle van Reenen said they were aware of the dangerous gang operating in the Durban North and La Lucia areas and that seven incidents had been reported in the past three weeks.
“There are five suspects… four are armed with handguns, while the fifth has an assault rifle. Four suspects storm the home, usually by force, using hammers to break the doors. They hold up the homeowners, while the fifth suspect stands guard with a rifle,” said Van Reenen.
Blue Security operations director Brian Jackson said: “Our crime statistics have indicated a spike in armed robberies in La Lucia in recent weeks where gangs of robbers have targeted businesses and homes, in most cases tampering with or forcing open the driveway gates to gain entry to the properties. There have been six robberies reported to us in the area over the past month.”
He added that the robbers targeted properties in the afternoons and evenings and had taken goods ranging from firearms to electronic goods.
“It is unclear at this stage whether the robberies are the work of a single gang or multiple perpetrators,” said Jackson.
uMhlanga ward councillor and CPF member Heinz de Boer said there has been “a surge in house robberies and cars being stolen”.
“At this time of year, crime increases and police and security companies are doing as much as they can, but the police are under-resourced at Durban North police station. The house robberies are very concerning.
“On a positive note, Prestondale near Gateway was being hit hard with crime but have formed a neighbourhood watch which has grown and crime has dropped to an alltime low in that area. We are setting up street committees wherever possible,” he said.
KZN SAPS media spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Thulani Zwane said they had not noted an increase in crime.
“Such allegations are baseless. There is no increase. Those cases have been reported and are under investigation. We are working tirelessly to apprehend the suspects.”