Violent start to the year in Kempton Park

For most people, the beginning of each year brings ideas of a fresh start and a positive way of looking at life.

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However, when that time that is meant to bring positivity becomes clouded by traumatic and undesirable experiences, it becomes difficult to remain optimistic.

Crime is one of the common culprits that thief away one’s optimism, and following the recent criminal activities witnessed in Kempton Park, it has been a violent start to the year for Kempton Park residents.

Four incidents in recent weeks included a 16-year-old girl who lost her life during a robbery on CR Swart Drive on January 18. It is alleged the deceased and her cousin were walking by the bridge not far from the intersection on the corner of CR Swart Drive and Kelvin Street when they were accosted by a suspect who robbed the deceased of her cellphone and stabbed her in the upper body during the alleged struggle. The girl was rushed to a clinic at the Kempton Park Civic Centre where she was declared dead on arrival.

In another incident, a Norkem Park couple was hospitalised following a house robbery, also on January 18. The husband was being treated for a stab wound on the palm of his hand while the wife was reportedly in a critical condition with a gunshot wound. This comes after two suspects, carrying a knife and gun, attacked the couple while with their two children, aged three and 11, and their domestic worker in the house.

In the third incident, a man was gunned down during an armed robbery at Edleen Supermarket in Duvenhage Avenue, Edleen, on January 14. Marco Doria (34), a husband and father of three, was shot in the head at close range during the armed robbery when he had gone to the shops with his brother to go buy eggs.

In a fourth incident, police recovered a hijacked vehicle on West Street on January 19. It is alleged the vehicle was hijacked in Lyttelton, Centurion, in November and the provincial task team had been tracking it until it was spotted in Kempton Park. A chase ensued and the suspects, a man and woman, were cornered on West Street and arrested for possession of a suspected stolen vehicle.

The cases mentioned are just a few of the numerous incidents already reported during the first few weeks of 2022.
Express questioned Norkem Park and Kempton Park SAPS about their plans and measures in place to ensure safety to reduce crime in Kempton Park.

Sgt Barbara-Anne Ferreira, spokesperson for Norkem Park SAPS, gave some of the station’s plans for the year and added that more will be identified, as the station’s new station commander will start in February.

“Under the Vispol leader, Lt-Col KP Tsoute, we do stop-and-searches, patrol the hot spots, concentrate on policeable crimes and collaborate operations with EMPD, National Traffic, private security companies and CPF patrollers.”

Capt Jethro Mtshali, spokesperson for Kempton Park SAPS, also mentioned that stop-and-searches form part of this station’s operations

“We have continued with crime prevention activities since the festive season and have been assisted by other law enforcement agencies,” said Mtshali.

“Among other things, we were conducting stop-and-searches and setting up of roadblocks. These operations resulted in the arrests of several suspects for driving vehicles while suspected to be under the influence of alcohol, possession of and dealing in drugs, recovery of alleged stolen vehicles and recovery of unlicensed firearms, to mention a few.

“Just recently, three suspects were arrested for allegedly shooting a 38-year-old on Central Avenue on January 3 and police, with the assistance of other law enforcement agencies, gave chase of the suspects and cornered them.

During the chase, a shoot-out ensued which resulted in one of the suspects being wounded, and a firearm was recovered.”

Mtshali also spoke about operation O Kae Molao.

“This operation is the brainchild of the Gauteng provincial commissioner Lt-Gen Elias Mawela, which is a multi-disciplinary operation that includes all law enforcement agencies and targets all the hot spots infested by crime weekly,” said Mtshali.

“The station commander of Kempton Park SAPS, Brig Lindani Ndlovu, is committed to working with all structures and committees that will assist in bringing down the level of crime and bring all perpetrators of crime to book.

“He appeals to anyone with information to come forward or contact 08600 10111 or SMS 32211.”

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