Two armed thugs, between the ages of 26 and 27, were apprehended when safety ambassadors, who are part of the Safety Ambassador Programme under the city-improvement district (CID), reacted swiftly after they robbed a sport store in the CBD on Thursday around 09:00.
Two suspects held employees of Totalsports in Paul Kruger Street at gunpoint, forcing them to hand over their personal belongings, including handbags and cellphones. As a customer was about to enter the shop, he saw the undergoing robbery and immediately contacted authorities.
The robbers ran off with ambassadors Messrs Mduduzi Mnisi, Simon Hlatshwayo and Patrick Thibela hot on their heels. The suspects then split up in an attempt to evade them, but these men were one step ahead.
The robbers’ attempted escape was cut short when they were chased and one was arrested in Bester Street and the other in Anderson Street thanks to swift reaction. All stolen goods were successfully recovered and the thugs are currently in custody awaiting trial.
The CID was established under the Mbombela City Improvement District by-law in 2011.
Ehlanzeni District Municipality through the extended public works programme, the SAPS, CID and J&M Security currently manage the Safety Ambassador Programme which consists of five block leaders and one supervisor, Mr Lucky Mdluli.
These ambassadors patrol the streets of the CBD on bicycles and stay in contact via hand radios to maintain proper communication among one another. The block leaders manage up to 64 ambassadors (previously known as car guards). This project has immensely reduced theft out of motor vehicles and other crimes.
Other than keeping outlaws off the street, they are also responsible for keeping their area of duty clean and tidy.
Many people are not aware of the tax incentives to encourage investment for specified urban-development zones as first introduced by Mr Trevor Manuel in 2003.Mbombela CBD (Mbombela Municipality)falls under one of the 16 municipalities picked to create urban-renewal zones.
This incentive provides investors with a tax write-off for the cost of the improvement or building over time before actual sale (and without regard to the write-off for accounting purposes). The tax write-off period depends on whether the construction relates to the improvement of an existing building versus a new building.
The purpose of this enhanced incentive is to maintain structures considered worthy of retention and to maximise the use of all the sunken capital of existing buildings.
The urban-development-zone allowance covers all construction costs related to the erection, extension, addition or improvement of buildings.
“Since this initiative was established, a clear improvement is visible in the city’s centre both on the criminal side as well as the cleaning up thereof,” says Ms Rayhana Laher, manager of CID in Mbombela.
