The Gauteng High Court, which is teeming with local and foreign media covering the Oscar Pistorius case, appears to have become a favourite hunting ground for criminals, who prey on the journalists, stealing their laptops, cell phones and tablets.
The latest victim is Australian cameraman Rob Brown. His laptop, with important information regarding the Pistorius murder trial coverage, was stolen last Thursday. This is the third time he has been a victim of crime in Pretoria.
The Seven Network cameraman has been covering the sensational trial since the first day on 3 March.
His laptop was stolen from the spot in the High Court building that he has been using as his office. He left the equipment unattended to capture images of the world famous Paralympic star’s arrival outside the High Court. When he returned, he found the laptop missing. “I went straight to security to review the video footage,” Brown said. It revealed a smartly dressed man walking out of the court building with the laptop.
The devastated cameraman has offered a R10 000 reward to anyone with information that could lead to the recovery of the stolen laptop. Brown’s experience does not stand alone, though. IOL reported last Friday that a local radio reporter had her iPad stolen from inside the courtroom during the lunch break.
Central police spokesperson, Sergeant Ann Poortman, admitted there was a problem with theft at the High Court and urged the media to be vigilant. “Victims of crime should report to the police immediately,” Poortman urged. She said police working at the court could act quickly to arrest suspects if the crimes were reported promptly. Police have also appealed to journalists and the public not to leave their belongings unattended at the court.
Brown told Rekord that the theft of his laptop was not the first time he had fallen victim to crime in the city. Early last month, he and his colleague, Chris Reason, were robbed at knifepoint on the streets. Brown said he considered himself lucky to still be alive following the incident.
It was reported then that Brown was particularly fortunate after one of his assailants struck him several times with a knife, but caused no injury. He was robbed of his Apple iPhone 4. The first time Brown fell victim to crime in the city was when his valuables were stolen from one of the famous hotels in Sunnyside in June last year. “My expensive jacket and other valuables were stolen,” Brown said.
On 28 February, Rekord reported how three men attempted to rob Yvonne Cotus, a Capital Park resident, and her son of their valuables on the corner of Bloed and Paul Kruger streets. Cotus said a man armed with a long knife came to her side of the car. “I told him I only had R4. The other man tried to take the car keys out of the ignition, but my son was quick enough to close the window before they could grab them,” Cotus said.
These street robbers apparently prey on motorists who drive with their car windows open. Slow-moving traffic, as a result of the road construction for the Tshwane Bus Rapid Transit, has made motorists particularly vulnerable to such thugs.
