John Lyons (53), a businessman who was shot dead in the early hours of Friday morning, moved to the Woodhill Country Estate in the east of Pretoria because it was hailed as one of the safest places to dwell in this country.

Two armed men, alleged Nigerians, broke into Lyons’s house in Observatory Avenue  shortly before they shot and killed Lyons.

After the shoot-out a notice was send to all the upper-class residents stating that “the management have deployed maximum security resources on the estate and will be conducting searches at all gates.”

This came despite of the fact that this award-winning estate’s home owners association had approved an additional R6 million in August last year to address “the current short comings of the system and in the future pose a tough challenge to criminals who intend targeting Woodhill for criminal activities.”

This estate, that boarders Plastic View, an informal settlement near Moreleta Park, became a target for criminals last year and a spate of house robberies were reported.

Their security plans included the following:

– a secured water inlet at the graveyard site;

– installed earth-loops on the fence;

– installed electric fence at contractors gate;

– re-sighted PTZ,s (Cameras) at the workshop and contractors gate;

– installation of GPS-Radios and screen in Control Room;

– placing of 4 cameras at priority corridor in Estate;

– employed Procore security to carry out detective work;

– Fidelity security have deployed fixed and movable thermal cameras;

– Fidelity security have deployed additional guards at night (currently 9 guards);

– additional staff at the school entrance (builder in school terrain);

– started with the re-registration of all people on the data base;

– in the process of installing turn styles at Contractor’s gate and increase the number of patrol vehicles during the day.

“We already pay thousands of rand extra for this added security and now a man was shot and killed,” said a resident who wishes to remain anonymous.

Garsfontein police spokesperson Warrant Officer Dave Miller said it appeared that the men came into the estate by foot and escape by foot again.

“We have been searching for them the whole day, but no one has been arrested yet.”

Rekord visited the estate late on Friday afternoon and the security officers were all in jitters.

“We didn’t see anyone on the security cameras,” one of the officers at the gate told Rekord.

Reporters were denied entry to the estate and the estate’s management could not yet be reached for comment.

Meanwhile, the Afrikaans right-wing singer Sunette Bridges, who also stays in this estate, posted the following on her Facebook page:

“Three (sic – it was only two) barbarians broke into a house – a mere 800 meters from where I am staying. The barbarians shot him cold blooded. I am still shaking. We are staying behind 8 foot electric fences and you can’t get in or out of the gates without your finger print. I don’t know anymore.”

Also read:

Man shot and killed in upmarket Pretoria estate

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