The stealing leaves one without any profits, says business owners
Business owners are fed-up with crime that affects business so badly that they may have no option but to close down.
LIMPOPO – Business owners in Mutale say they are getting tired of the crime that affects business so badly that they may have no option but to close down.
Thinandavha Mamidze of the Mutale Plaza near the Mutale Police Station, said when he built the plaza, the idea was that residents around Mutale and Niani areas won’t have to travel far to access shopping services in Sibasa and Thohoyandou, but with escalating business crimes it has become a nightmare to maintain the business as usual.
According to Mamidze, the latest incident happened at a shop rented at his plaza. The shop owner is a foreign national, who is now threatening to abandon his business because of theft and the subsequent losses the business suffers.
“Thugs gain entry through the roof and ceiling and we lose a lot of money. No one wants to open a business where there is crime, which means no one will rent at the plaza due to the current situation,” explained Mamidze.
He said they report the crimes to the nearby police station, which is situated a stone throw away from the business, but nothing comes of their complaints.
“No arrests are being made even though we showed the police the footage of the culprits.”
Mamidze added that police in Mutale shift the blame by saying they do arrest the suspects, but they are released as the courts can’t link them to the crimes.
One of the tenants at Mutale Plaza who also recently suffered losses, Tagess Jekdmo, said life is hard when doing business in Mutale as crime is high: “The stealing leaves one without any profits”.
Jekdmo said he will be pleased if the thugs are arrested and charged for their wrongdoings.
Limpopo police spokesperson, Brig Motlafela Mojapelo told CV that the police are aware of the crimes in the Mutale area and that he would deploy officers to conduct night patrols. He also appealed to the communities in Mutale to assist the police with information that could lead to the arrest of the culprits.
