Two die in robberies, shootings

ARECENT spike in robberies in Chatsworth culminated in a homeowner shooting dead two would-be assailants yesterday.

Chatsworth business people and community leaders have voiced concern, saying some residents have been forced to arm themselves.

A businessman blamed Eskom’s rolling blackouts for the robberies.

Police spokesman Colonel Jay Naicker said yesterday’s reign of terror began at about 10.30am with a house robbery in Riversdale Road, Silverglen.

The complainant was at his home when he was approached by three men with firearms. They took various household items and fled. The men then approached another resident at his home on Bul-Bul Drive and demanded his vehicle keys.

A Chatsworth policeman said the robbers fled the initial scene in a getaway vehicle when police were on their way.

Aware of the first robbery, the resident in the second house had armed himself, he said.

He had a two-way radio connected to the neighbourhood watch. The robbers fired two shots at him and he retaliated.

Items were found on the deceased – cash and a firearm magazine taken from the earlier victim.

This was confirmed by Naicker, who said the intruders fired at the armed victim, who returned fire. Two of the three robbers died on the scene.

“One is at large. Many of the items taken from the robbery at Riversdale Road were recovered in the possession of the deceased,” he said.

There was a further twist. While police were still combing the scene, they received reports of an attempted robbery, also on Bul-Bul Drive.

Here the victim, also under attack, opened fire on his assailants who managed to flee into dense vegetation bordering the homes.

“Police immediately dispatched members of the K9 unit, visible policing and the airwing to hunt for the men. However, they were not successful. It is not clear whether the two were part of the group that were killed on Bul-Bul drive,” he said.

Chatsworth Anti-Drug Forum chairman, Sam Pillay, said crime was rife in the area owing to its “close proximity to large open areas”.

“The community is now living in fear and very fed-up,” he said. “People have now armed themselves.

“That’s the last resort, but not everyone can afford it or is armed.”

A Chatsworth businessman who was a victim of crime recently said the community was always “watching our backs”.

“It makes it difficult to run our businesses because we are not sure who is a criminal and who isn’t of the people coming in and out.”

Load-shedding made the situation worse.

“The criminals know this. It puts us in more danger,” he said.