Residents and businesses in Glenesk, in the South of Johannesburg, have, for the last few years, experienced a wave of crime.
Many companies and residents were forced to employ more than one security company to prevent being the targets of criminals.
On Tuesday, May 17, the residents and local business owners called a meeting with the councillor of Ward 124, Mongameli Myameni, as well as an officer from the Moffat View Police Station, to share their grievances with the officials.
One business owner, who has spoken to the COURIER on the condition we withhold his identity, said he had break-ins since 2015. With the latest break-in, the criminals completely cleaned out his workshop.
The owner showed where the thieves had cut a cable at the pole on the street to ensure that there is no alarm when they return to break in.
The business owner said, “The criminals are without fear; they take their time and completely clean out our shops. We are forced to spend lots of money to ensure the safety of our businesses and yet our security companies in some of the cases also fail us as we are told they do not go out when the alarms go off.”
During the meeting, Myameni took questions from the group of attendees to get a solution to the problem that has been facing the residents for the last seven years.
To mitigate a solution between the business owners and SAPS, Cllr Myameni has called for a special meeting between stakeholders to ensure that a permanent solution is made to the problem.
