A Culemborg Park man has sworn never to set foot on the grounds of the Randfontein dumping site again after narrowly escaping an attack by robbers.
On Friday, 15 June, Johan Fourie, 59, explained to the Herald that he and an employee had to run for their lives after being robbed of goods to the value of R5 000. A lip channel, scrap metal and angle iron were but some of the items stolen when close to 20 men swarmed the back of his bakkie.
Johan said he had been threatened, so he jumped into his bakkie, and made an escape.
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He said that since the incident, the Randfontein dumping site has been a ‘no go zone’ for him. He also advised those who frequent the area to be wary of the criminal elements that are ruling the site. “In my state of panic,” he said, “I almost ran over two of the attackers.
“They seem to rule the whole rubbish dump, and my advice to people is to avoid the area, as they may get killed or robbed,” he said.
He said what makes the situation even worse is the squatter camp, which possibly harbours these crooks.
“The people there are supposed to be recycling waste, but there are a lot of bad elements, and they do exactly as they wish.”
He said the problem is that when people get to the dump, the supposed recyclers storm the bakkies in their haste to get at the recyclable material they may be carrying.
“There is no security, and no one controlling them. If they see fit, they could even take your car. It is not safe for anybody to dump anything. I would prefer it if people avoided the area altogether. When I left, I asked them who the security was, but no one knew.”
He said he will no longer run the risk of trying to be a law-abiding citizen by dumping at a designated area, and from now on, will dump where he sees fit.
Speaking of his losses, Fourie said he intends to sue the Mayor for the loss of his material, as he believes that the municipality is responsible for ensuring people’s safety.
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