Copesville living in fear of crime
Elderly residents install security gates
RESIDENTS of Copesville, Pietermaritzburg, are taking extra security measures to protect themselves against what they say is an alarming crime wave.
Many residents, including senior citizens, have installed security gates inside their homes to prevent thieves from attacking them.
They say that in recent months they have been under siege by criminals, who have helped themselves to everything from jewellery and plastic bowls to toothpaste.
One resident, who asked not to be named, said her family had been persuaded to install extra security measures after an incident a few weeks ago when a burglar roamed their home for hours without them realising it.
“The area is very high-risk at the moment,” said the resident. “It was a terrible experience. Now we can’t sleep at night. We don’t even really want to live here any more.”
During another robbery, an intruder shot and wounded a 28-year-old man.
The man’s mother said the family were “living in a nightmare”.
“We have lived here for 26 years and this is the first time something like this has happened,” she said.
“They knew everything. We have to put up more burglar guards inside the house and are looking into electric fencing.”
In another incident, a 75- year-old woman’s home was broken into while she was asleep.
She lives alone but was able to thwart the men by screaming.
“I locked myself inside the room and started shouting as if there were other people in the house with me.”
The woman’s back gate and door were forced open, even though she had five latches on the door.
Residents claim the councillor for the area, Thandi Ndlovu, is unconcerned about their pleas for assistance.
“We are like prisoners in our own homes,” said one resident. “She is not for us. She has her own personal security 24 hours a day so she doesn’t feel it the way we do.”
Others accused the local Msunduzi municipality of being slow to react to their concerns.
“We have overgrown bushes right around our homes where police have told us that criminals are hiding and watching our routines,” said a resident.
“We have asked the municipality to cut down the bushy area and nothing has been done. All of us had to get together and pay for someone to clear a small area.
“We are mostly pensioners and rely on our children to help us. It just isn’t right.”
Ndlovu refused to comment, directing queries to the municipality, which also did not respond.
Police spokesman Captain Thulani Zwane said Copesville had been identified as a crime hot spot owing to high unemployment and poverty.
He said a number of serious crimes had been reported, which had created the perception among the community that crime was spiralling.
“However, this is not the case,” said Zwane. “Increased visible policing has created a major deterrent for criminals in the area. High visibility has also contributed to several arrests.”
He said a task team had been formed, which had been responsible for the arrest of a crime syndicate earlier this month.