Locals fed up with with robberies
Locals are petrified of using Dirk Winterbach Street when travelling through town due to the numerous robberies that occur here while they are stuck in traffic at the traffic lights
BURGERSFORT – Locals are petrified of using Dirk Winterbach Street when travelling through town due to the numerous robberies that occur here while they are stuck in traffic at the traffic lights.
Over the past two years these incidents have increased drastically and according to most locals, these criminals get away with it because the police are not implementing any measures to curb the problem or to apprehend them.
Steelburger/Lydenburg News spoke to locals who were victims of these robberies. Most of them did not report the crimes, due to the fact that they felt the police would not even pursue the thieves because of the lack of interest in these cases. The robbery occurs within seconds, making it impossible for the victim to identify the suspect.
“I was driving in my bakkie while the window was open. The traffic was escalating as usual during peak hour. Two men approached my vehicle. The one distracted me while the other one grabbed my cellphone from the passenger seat. On another occasion my mother and father stopped at the red robot when a man pushed his hand through the small opening of my mother’s passenger window, violently snatching her necklace off her neck and about a month ago they stole all our grocery bags at the same robot while we were on our way home from Pick n Pay,” added Mr Matthew Krog.
“The heat in Burgersfort can rise up to 45 degrees in the afternoons, making it is impossible to keep all your vehicle windows closed when you drive around town, but with this spate of robberies we are forced to keep them closed,” said Ms Mariska Jonker.
Another victim is Ms Susan Muller. She went to fetch her family at SPAR in Twin City Shopping Centre when her vehicle’s window was pushed down at the traffic lights on the road to Ohrigstad. The man grabbed her around her neck to choke her. He then made off with her valuables. Muller jumped out of the car to draw the attention of a traffic officer closeby, but he ignored her. She then drove to the police station. After showing the the marks on her neck she was informed that nothing could be done as the attacker had managed to escape. Muller said the worst part was that the incident happened on the day of her mother-in-law’s funeral.
A police officer at the station said that they were aware of the increase in robberies in this street. “We are currently implementing and creating effective plans to stop these criminals at the robots. A campaign is also underway to inform motorists about safety regulations when travelling in town.
“We have already apprehended some of these criminals, but we urge all citizens to report all these incidents so that we can identify the areas where it occurs. Always keep your vehicle doors locked and windows closed. Bakkies must make use of a canopy that can lock, and avoid leaving valuables in the back of the bakkie.”
Criminals targeting the vehicles at red traffic lights usually work in teams of two. The one will distract the driver and passengers, while the other execute the crime.
Steelburger/Lydenburg News asked the police officer at the station if locals were allowed to use safety devices to protect themselves while driving and he stated the following, “If citizens request to use safety devices such as pepper spray and Tasers to protect themselves while driving, then they must know the law regulations and requirements when purchasing and using these devices.”
“I use Marone Street when travelling in town, but with water drainage pipe construction going on, it is impossible to drive there without hitting a pothole or loose rocks in the road. Now I ask myself, do I rather damage my vehicle or do I get robbed, because it looks like there is no safe alternative if you want to come to town,” concluded Ms Melissa Jacobs.
