Taking back the city

Within a week of a crime fighting group being established in Polo­kwane they have already proved their efficiency when, during the alleged kidnapping of an Indian businessman along the N1 on Tuesday afternoon, they swiftly mobilised with Police and not only rescued the victim but successfully traced and arrested the three suspected abductors in Lebowakgomo.
The reality of crime being seen as getting out of hand in the City of Stars urged a local businessperson to initiate a project in conjunction with the Police and other stakeholders to actively fight crime and send a clear message to criminals that their days in Polokwane are numbered.
During a meeting attended by community members as well as, among others, Polokwane Police Station Visible Policing Commander André Kotze and Westenburg Police Station Commander Maimele Pilusa in Nirvana last week, a team was formed consisting of men who are willing to put their lives at risk in an effort to combat crime and taking back the city.
“We are all fed-up with the crime rate and will work with the Police to hunt criminals down especially in the central business district, Nirvana and Westenburg. We already have about 20 very active members who can be depended on in any situation,” local business owner Shabier Valjie who initiated the project said.
Their shared passion for fighting crime was clearly demonstrated during the alleged abduction incident on Tuesday afternoon. Valjie indicated yesterday (Wednesday) that he received a call early on Tuesday afternoon about the alleged kidnapping of a man who was hitchhiking at an intersection just outside the city.
“I immediately contacted Kotze and other active members of the group who, within minutes gathered at the filling station in Nirvana to roll out a plan of action. We followed certain links and had a vague idea that the suspects were driving a Suzuki,” Valjie said.
The group immediately dispersed after receiving a tip-off about a man allegedly having been beaten up and found along the road near Kuschke Agricultural High School. “It was the kidnap victim. He was allegedly beaten up and robbed of approximately R6 000 before he was dumped next to the road. They withdrew about R1 000 on one card and R5 000 on the other,” Valjie said.
The victim allegedly indicated that he was hitchhiking to Zebediela where he owns a business. The three suspects offered him a ride and along the route they started interrogating him demanding his bank cards and pins.
Valjie with other members of the group and Police officers continued towards Lebowakgomo as it was believed that the suspects had fled in that direction.
“We spotted the grey Suzuki vehicle and immediately intercepted it. The driver and one of the suspects were apprehended on the spot while another managed to escape. But so many members had already mobilised on the ground that the third suspect was apprehended within minutes in the vicinity,” Valjie said.
Yesterday (Wednesday) Mienkie Ramakgoa­kga of the Provincial Police Communications Centre confirmed that a case of kidnapping had been opened.
Referring back to the establishment of the crime fighting group, Valjie said that the members are fully equipped with radios and cell phones as communication tools. “The idea was to get together and fight crime.” Mighty Scrapyard, of which he is the owner, donated two state-of-the-art breathalysers which the Police will use in the Westenburg and Polokwane areas seeing that drunken driving has also become a problematic issue recently, according to Valjie.
He further indicated that crimes such as smash-and-grab, car theft, vehicles with false registration numbers and kidnappings, especially in Nirvana, and are a big concern across the city. “Polokwane in becoming like Johannesburg central. It is not the Polokwane we used to know,” he said.
Valjie has also established Mighty Tactical Reaction Services which has several response vehicles on the ground as part of the project.
Valjie thanked the Police and all other stakeholders for their commitment to curb crime in the city.

Story: RC Myburgh
>>rc.observer@gmail.com