Ernest Hall, Germiston South, writes:
Taking full advantage of, mostly, vacant offices this festive season, thieves have been having a field day at premises in Kinross Road, Germiston South.
I have walked past these premises for the past 10 days and witnessed the methodical, systematic and relentless stripping of most things metallic surrounding this business.
First one half of the vehicle entrance’s swing gates was removed from its hinges.
Someone must have disturbed the thieves and the following day personnel placed said gate back on its hinges.
A day later the thieves were back, this time successfully making off with that one section of gate.
A day later, in broad daylight, they were back again, this time removing the metal railings on the brick walls and smashing a pillar in the process.
We flagged down two very nice SAPS Task Team members and showed them what was happening and were informed that these officers would immediately visit the nearby scrapyards.
Yeah! Right!
As if that would help when almost everything was closed for the holidays.
Also, we were given the Germiston South, sector-specific, policing unit’s contact number for further statements and appropriate investigation, etc.
Within a short space of time two more very kind and decent officers arrived, looked, sympathetically listened and promised to take matters further.
Since then we haven’t seen or heard anything from the SAPS and the thieves are back.
Seemingly every night, non-stop.
The last metal spikes, at the lower end of the remaining motorised vehicle-entrance gate, are now regularly being broken off a few at a time.
I wouldn’t be surprised if we were to wake up tomorrow and find this entire gate gone, too.
How can this be happening we ask ourselves?
Don’t security officers in South Africa do American-styled “stakeouts”, set up surveillance or patrol more frequently?
A golden opportunity to catch these thugs in the act has been lost.
I weep, I fret and I wring my hands in despair.
