This past week I was once again reminded of how unsafe our communities have become when an elderly resident was assaulted in his home in broad daylight.
What makes this worse, is the fact that the criminals abused the trusting nature of this couple, not only to gain access to their house and possessions, but to also terrorise and traumatise them in the most barbaric way possible. I am sure that the 75-year-old Danie Schoeman did not think for one second that he would have to fight for his life (while trying to protect his wife) a few minutes after opening the gate for the supposed council employees.
This is also not the first, and will certainly not be the last, incident of this nature, as would-be criminals continuously come up with better and bigger ideas to try and fool you into trusting them and allowing them access to you, your property and valuables. It is also not a secret that they like to prey on the more vulnerable citizens in our communities, seeing them as soft targets and pushovers.
For me, it is just sad to think that we are no longer safe anywhere, not even in our own homes. To make matters worse, in order for you to be able to protect yourself, your family and hard-earned possessions, your home and yard almost look like a prison with all the added security measures. We live in an almost constant state of fear and paranoia, so much so, that a normal family braai, or even just a relaxing afternoon in your garden, is unheard of, and now, to add to that anxiety, we have to scrutinise every person at our gate and take their stories with a pinch of salt.
So, in light of this latest incident, I thought this was the perfect time to remind residents again that there are ways to identify council employees, and urge each and every one to use this information before allowing just anyone access to your property.
To identify a Johannesburg Water employee, you can visit https://johannesburgwater.co.za/meter-reading/meter-readers/, call them on 011 688 1400, send a Facebook message or a tweet (@JHBWater).
City Power technicians are required to wear the official City Power uniform and carry an identity (ID) card with them at all times. All ID cards are colour-coded to identify the department the technician is from. For meter audits and maintenance, the colour on the card is turquoise. This card will also display a photo of the technician attending to the specific task, with his/ her staff number and an expiry date. A hologram of the City Power logo (a firefly) appears on the card as well. These technicians can also be identified by the City Power vehicle they use. Their identity can also be verified by contacting the City Power meter verification call centre on 011 490 7900/ 7911/ 7553.
Until next week, stay safe and look out for each other …
