Crime rebounds: murder no longer in state of lockdown
Reports reveal incidents on the increase since advent of Level 4
Preven Govender, 53, had just finished dinner with his family when three house robbers shot him in front of his grandchild when he told them he had no money.
Govender’s killing will become another statistic in the number of murders reported during the lockdown. Police minister Bheki Cele last week said murders had dropped by 63% between March 27 and May 19 this year, compared with the same period last year. Yet, 1,072 people had still been killed during the lockdown.
eBlock Watch owner Andre Snyman says crime increased when level 4 began in May.
Last week Govender, who lives in Roodepoort, west of Johannesburg, was shot and killed when robbers fired shots during a home invasion. Snyman said two other home invasions were also reported last week in Bryanston, Johannesburg.
On Friday, Cele, while giving an update on the levels of compliance and adherence to the lockdown regulations, said the police had initially seen a downward trend during level 5 of the lockdown, but a slight increase had been detected since the downgrade to level 4.
The trends are yet to be analysed, but Cele said authorities believed they were caused by the relaxation of the lockdown restrictions.
According to Govender’s daughter in-law Nikita, the family had just finished having supper when suspects invaded their house.
“I had just finished a video call with my sister, when I heard a commotion. I went to investigate and found the suspects pointing a firearm [at Govender]. They demanded money and the car keys. When we told them we don’t have money, they just shot him at pointblank range. All this happened in front of my four-year-old daughter,” Nikita said.
“We are still angry and scared at the same time. We don’t feel safe in our own home. My daughter has nightmares about her grandfather being killed in front of her.”
She said the family moved into the home eight years ago but did not install an alarm system because their suburb did not generally have high crime levels.
The private security company operating in the area, Sub Rosa, received a distress call from one of Govender’s neighbours at about 7pm on May 20.
“Reaction vehicles were dispatched, and the first unit arrived in 40 seconds. The suspects had already fled the scene,” Sub Rosa’s Jacques Kleynhans said.
He said three armed suspects allegedly entered the Constantia Kloof house through the back door that had been left unlocked.
“They requested the keys to the vehicle, and the owner handed over the keys. They then shot him in the chest before fleeing the home,” Kleynhans said.
Govender died on the way to hospital. “We haven’t had such a case in the Roodeport area in seven years,” Kleynhans said.
Snyman said security companies had noticed an increase in crime, such as smash-andgrabs and muggings, and two home invasions in Bryanstan.
“With more people in the streets, crime is picking up as well. People now can evade police and security easier than during level 5 lockdown.”
Snyman warned residents to be vigilant when ordering takeaways from restaurants. “Criminals will use the restaurant’s delivery as a form of getting entrance into people’s homes.”
The easing of the lockdown has seen increased movement of people and traffic on the road as more companies have gone back to business.
Towards the end of April, while the country was on level 5, police had recorded 107,000 cases opened, while 118,000 people had been charged for contravention of the lockdown regulations.