An Pretoria resident has told how he and his friend were robbed and harassed at a dumpsite east of Pretoria last Wednesday leaving them in fear for their safety.
Frikkie Steenkamp said he and a friend were crowded by more than 80 men who were scavenging from his rubbish at a dumpsite next to the Heatherly cemetery in Nellmapius.
Steenkamp said they arrived at the site around 15:30 and noticed nothing amiss but as they drove in, men appeared from all directions and got up onto his trailer and the back of his bakkie to scavenge.
“I don’t know what they were looking for.”
Steenkamp said it seemed like there were thousands of them.
“I was shocked and immediately stopped abruptly in an attempt to fend them off but they wouldn’t get off.”
He said he opened the car door to speak to the men.
“Five were immediately around me, and my phone was snatched,” said Steenkamp.
“I realised the situation was getting dangerous and told my friend we had to go. We were shocked to learn there was a security guard on site because nobody seemed willing to lend us a hand.”
He said the men had fallen off his trailer as he sped away to the gate.
“I have a strong feeling they would have stolen my car if we had remained there any longer.
“My phone cost over R14 000 and these men just took it, with no remorse.”
Steenkamp said he would lay a complaint at the Silverton police station this week.
Attempts to contact Steenkamp on Monday were unsuccessful and police could not confirm the attack at the time of going to print.
A Rekord journalist who lived in Mamelodi confirmed the dumpsite was a no-go zone.
He said there had been several unreported attacks on motorists at the dumpsite.
He said locals knew not to go there but strangers still went because they didn’t know the risks.
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Radio personality robbed at home
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