The Ikageng police arrested four learners – believed to be members of gangs – for robberies with weapons last Thursday.
According to Sgt Kelebogile Trom, the Ikageng police spokesperson, a 20-year-old girl was robbed of her cell phone on her way home from school. The incident took place between Sonderwater and Mohadin at about 09:00 last Thursday.
Trom says she was walking on a footpath with her two friends when two males suddenly approached them. One of them grabbed her school bag and the other came from behind and grabbed her around the throat. She fell and he grabbed her cell phone and the youths ran away.
When the victim chased them, one took out a knife and nicked her on the hand. She recognised the suspect at school the following day and informed the principal. ‘The school contacted the police and an 18-year-old suspect was arrested,’ said Trom.
At about 09:30 on the same day, three males allegedly attacked a 16-year-old male in Nkosi Street. Trom says they were standing at the corner when one of them put his hand in the victim’s pocket and took out his cell phone. The other suspect pointed a knife at his friend.
Three boys, aged 14, 15, and 17 respectively were arrested.’
Trom says all four youths are high school learners and had gang tattoos.
Following these incidents, the Ikageng SAPS and the NW SAPS visited Resolofetse Secondary school on Wednesday to educate them about the dangers of joining gangs, and drug and alcohol abuse.
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They also warned the learners not to take part in robberies. ‘In the end, you will end up with criminal records and won’t be able to get a job one day. Most of you think you will not be arrested because you are minors,’ she said.
Trom advised the learners to rather take part in the various sports codes on offer around their areas and refrain from bad habits.
She has advised other school learners to walk in groups when going home, especially during exam time when they leave school early and become targets. She also told them to avoid using footpaths and exposing their cell phones when walking in the streets.
The NW MEC for community safety and transport management, Dr Mpho Motlhabane says gangsterism is a social problem, not only for SAPS but for the whole society and the country. ‘It was previously said that in the 1940s poverty, misery, lawlessness and the absence of parental guidance led to an increase in gangsterism.
But the problem still continues in our respective provinces, even today. There has been a drastic increase in the prevalence of groupings and gangs in many of our villages, townships and small dorpies, in particular,’ he said.
