Cops slam fake news over Magaliesberg mountain range attacks

Provincial police have slammed the circulation of allegedly fake voice notes about crimes committed along the Magalies mountain range and Wonderpark in Akasia, north of Pretoria.

“Police have records of three cases reported in the area that are under investigation,” spokesperson Captain Mavela Masondo said.

Voice notes allegedly emerged and were circulated on social media by people who reportedly claimed to be victims of crimes in the area.

“These voice notes not only cause panic to the residents but also compromise investigation on reported cases,” Masondo said.

He added that police would continue to work with communities which supplied them with information which assisted in the investigation of crimes and apprehension of suspects.

“Police further urge the community who become victims of crime to immediately report such incidents so an investigation can take place and suspects can be arrested,” he said.

Meanwhile, provincial commissioner Lieutenant General Elias Mawela, also warned members of the public against circulating the false voice notes.

“I strongly condemn this false information and call on perpetrators to retract these voice notes and stop the circulation,” he said.

Mawela further said the circulation of the false information, images and footage did not assist in their fight against crime, but instead caused them to divert resources and time which should be used to combat and investigate “genuine cases”.

Despite the condemnation and warning of the false voice notes, a number of gruesome incidents occurred along the Magalies mountain range in recent weeks.

One of the most recent incidents was the discovery of a woman’s body after she had been reported missing by her husband hours earlier.=

Martha Mhangi, who was believed to have been around the age of 35, was found with a bullet wound to the left side of her head while her husband had been tied up with a shoelace when she was kidnapped.

The couple was also robbed of their valuables.

They stopped along the roadside of the R80 Mabopane Highway.

Another incident was the gruesome attack of Comrades marathon champion Nick Bester while he was hiking.

Bester was said to have been ambushed and hit with a rock from behind.

He sustained multiple injuries during the attack and was robbed of his phones, an undisclosed amount of cash and his personal firearm.

Shortly after the two accidents which occurred weeks apart, Akasia police spokesperson Constable Lindiwe Mdluli declared the mountain range a crime hotspot.

“We’ve mobilised the crime prevention unit to patrol that area frequently. We’ve realised it is becoming an area of concern and threat to the residents, she said, adding that people who used the route to exercise or parked along the roadside should be vigilant.

Mdluli also said the motive behind the attacks which occurred along the mountain appeared to be the same – robbery and “sometimes” rape.