Pilgrimages and stops near north mountain range, discouraged

Pilgrimages and roadside stops near the Magalies mountain range have been discouraged after a recent spike in attacks. “People going up the mountain to pray and those who stop on the roadside leisurely are discouraged from doing so as that area is not safe,” police spokesperson Captain Bonginkosi Msimanago said.

“The mountain there is very dangerous.” This comes days after provincial police rubbished claims made in several voice note messages about attacks on the mountain range which were circulated this week.

ALSO READ: Trailseeker Mountain Bike Series ready to continue

In the voice notes, people claimed to have either been victims of gruesome attacks or relayed stories of attacks which happened to people they knew.

“Police have records of three cases reported in the area that are under investigation,” spokesperson Captain Mavela Masondo said. “These voice notes not only cause panic to the residents but also compromise investigation on reported cases.”

He said that police would continue to work with communities which supplied them with information which assisted in the investigation of crimes and apprehension of suspects.

“Police further urge the community who become victims of crime to immediately report such incidents so an investigation can take place and suspects can be arrested,” he said.

Meanwhile, provincial commissioner Lieutenant-General Elias Mawela also warned members of the public against circulating the false voice notes.

“I strongly condemn this false information and call on perpetrators to retract these voice notes and stop the circulation,” he said.

Mawela further said the circulation of the false information, images and footage did not assist in their fight against crime, but instead caused them to divert resources and time which should be used to combat and investigate “genuine cases”.

A number of attacks were reported to have taken place along the Magalies mountain range in recent weeks. One of the most recent incidents was the discovery of a woman’s body after she was reported missing by her husband hours earlier.

ALSO READ: Woman found on mountain trail shot dead

Martha Mhangi, who was believed to have been around the age of 35, was found with a bullet wound to the left side of her head while her husband had been tied up with a shoelace when she was kidnapped. The couple was also robbed of their valuables after stopping along the roadside on the R80 Mabopane highway.

Earlier, Comrades marathon champion Nick Bester was brutally assaulted and robbed while he was on a hike. He suffered multiple injuries during the attack where he was hit with a rock from behind and robbed of his phones, an undisclosed amount of cash and his firearm.

Shortly after the two accidents which occurred weeks apart, Akasia police spokesperson Constable Lindiwe Mdluli declared the mountain range a crime hotspot.

“We’ve mobilised the crime prevention unit to patrol that area frequently. We’ve realised it is becoming an area of concern and threat to the residents, she said, adding that people who used the route to exercise or parked along the roadside should be vigilant. Mdluli also said the motive behind the attacks which occurred along the mountain appeared to be the same – “robbery and sometimes rape”.

Do you have more information about the story?

Please send us an email to editorial@rekord.co.za or phone us on 083 625 4114.

For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord’s websites: 

Rekord East For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram