An attack on a man at a dumpsite has prompted an increase of patrols in the area, the police have said.
Mamelodi police spokesperson Captain Mike Mbewe said the police had intensified patrols of the dumpsite near the Heatherly Cemetery in Nellmapius.
Mbewe said police had received reports of attacks and stolen phones at the dumpsite.
He said police would keep a close eye on the area but urged communities to report criminal acts in the area.
Mbewe said all motorists going to dump rubbish in the dumpsite were advised to keep all valuable possessions out of sight.
“Doors and windows of the car must be closed and locked to reduce the possibility of thefts,” he said.
Mbewe said the thieves usually targeted motorists if they spotted valuable items to steal.
“The thief would wait until the driver is offloading and distracted to pounce then flee with their phones or valuable items.”
He said the thefts and attacks were random acts of crime.
Mbewe said police took every report seriously.
“We will concentrate our efforts to fight crime especially in that area,” Mbewe said.
He urged residents to report any criminal activity to the police on 10111 or the Mamelodi east police station on 012-815-7080.
Last week a man was robbed of his cellphone at the dumpsite.
The East Lynn resident Frikkie Steenkamp said five men surrounded him and took his phone when he was at the dumpsite to offload rubbish.
He said the culprits began mounting his trailer as he entered the dumpsite.
It was around 15:30 when he and his friend entered the eastern dumpsite.
“Men started getting on top of my trailer and looking for something.”
He said he wasn’t sure what they were looking for so he blew on his car horn.
“They didn’t even move,” he said.
And as soon as he stopped and opened his car door to speak to them, five immediately around him, one snatched his phone, he said.
“At that moment the situation was getting dangerous and I told my friend that we had to go.”
Steenkamp and his friend hastily fled the scene “because the men were getting hostile”.
Steenkamp told Rekord he would lay a complaint about his R14 000 stolen phone at the Silverton police station this week.
Attempts to contact Steenkamp on Monday and Tuesday were unsuccessful and police could not confirm the attack at time of print.
Also read:
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United States warns of attacks in SA
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