Centurion residents were on Saturday taught about how to avoid becoming victims of hijackings in driveways.
This was during a workshop at Laerskool Louis Leipoldt in Lyttelton, where former police officer Richard Brussow spoke to them about prevention of crimes such as hijacking and robbery.
Brussow, who established the National Hijack Prevention Academy in 2001, said 68% of hijackings happened in driveways and could be avoided.
He has more than 15 years of experience in motor vehicle crime investigation, organized crime, motor vehicle theft, metro police crime prevention, and vehicle tracking.
Brussow educated his audience about tricks used by hijackers, their motivation, factors that lead to attacks and categories of hijacked vehicles.
Robbers liked using service stations as a base to prey on unsuspecting victims, he said. Once they had identified their victims they drove behind them until they arrived home.
Brussow advised motorists to always look at the car behind them to prevent the crime.
Those in attendance were also warned against inviting potential car buyers to their homes after they had advertised them online.
Rather, Brussow said, ask to meet them at a service station where there were CCTV cameras. He said sellers ought to carefully examine the buyers’ driving licenses to check if they were not fake.
They also needed to guard against receiving counterfeit cash from unscrupulous buyers.
Motorists must also be aware of a technique where criminals bumped into cars during rush hour with the intention to get them out of their vehicles, where they would be robbed. However, he said the technique was well known.
Robbers had slightly changed it by sending female drivers to bump into cars, hoping that drivers wouldn’t be scared to stop for inspecting the extent of the damage. “Just get a number plate and drive off,” warned Brussow.
-Pretoria News
This news release does not necessarily reflect the opinion of SA-news.
A father of two in the north of Pretoria was in a critical condition after he was shot six times in a home invasion.
“It’s so surreal. I cannot believe my husband Jan is in ICU and fighting for his life,” Lorna Schoeman told Rekord.
A normal weekday for the Schoeman family in Great Dane Street in Hesteapark turned into a nightmare when two men suddenly entered their home at around 04:50.
Schoeman said she was in the kitchen preparing their children’s school lunches when she heard a window break.
“Something was thrown through the window, and the next moment there were two unknown men in our house.”
A struggle ensued between her husband Jan, who had just woken up, and the attackers in the hallway.
“The next moment the gunshots were fired,” said Schoeman.
Schoeman said Jan was rushed to the Netcare Montana Hospital.
“The bullets did a lot of damage. I just want my husband to recover; there is still a long road ahead as he is in critical condition.”
The couple’s two children, aged 12 and 18, were left unharmed during the attack.
“I can’t believe they didn’t shoot me. I stood there and screamed and screamed. I have never in my life screamed as I did. I hoped and prayed that they would not hurt me nor my children.”
The robbers fled the scene with two television sets and one of the children’s school bags.
“I am so thankful for the paramedics who responded so promptly and to the doctors who treated my husband. The Lord was with my husband.”
A friend of the family has posted on Facebook for the community to pray for Jan.
Tshwane police cluster spokesperson Captain Matthews Nkoadi confirmed a case of attempted murder was being investigated.
“The victim was shot multiple times in the upper body before he was taken to the hospital.”
-rekordnorth
This news release does not necessarily reflect the opinion of SA-news.
MANAGEMENT at Steve Biko Academic Hospital yesterday terminated the contract of the Born to Protect security company after its employees embarked on an unprotected strike, which massively disrupted services.
More than 200 security officers barricaded the hospital’s entrances with rocks, burning tyres and rubble from the morning, claiming they had not been paid. Police eventually intervened.
The guards also threatened to shut down the hospital today should payments not be made by the end of business yesterday. The guards said they were striking due to their payments being delayed and some not getting paid at all.
The hospital’s acting chief executive, Dr Mathabo Mathebula, said management was terminating the services of the company as the non-payment allegations and delays were not happening for the first time.
“Whether they are paid or not, the alternative is for us to terminate the contract with the company; they are privately employed by the company that is working for us. The company is appointed on a month-to-month basis.
“We have to terminate their services, because it is not the first month that they are not paying their people on time. They are supposed to pay them on the 15th,” Mathebula said.
“There were one or two ambulances that had to take a different route as the main entrance and Level 8 were blocked. The ambulances were directed to other roads to access the hospital.”
She said no patients were turned away, but they had to walk a longer distance as access to cars was blocked. Golf carts were used to fetch the affected patients where they were dropped off.
Subsequent to the strike, the same company sent another team, but Mathebula said this was not enough.
“There is no threat to the safety of patients or the hospital property,” she said, adding they were hoping to contract another company soon.
One of the security officers who had not received her salary said she felt used by both the company and hospital.
“I come to work every day to protect people and ensure they are assisted, only not to get paid, or to get my money 15 days late. I feel used by all these people.
“My fridge only has water and nothing else because of the delays, I’m a single mother of two and no one is assisting me,” she said.
Health MEC Dr Gwen Ramokgopa expressed concern about the disruptions. “This is unacceptable behaviour. We cannot allow the disruption of services and acts that compromise the safety of patients and employees. The department appreciates the support of the SAPS for helping to bring the situation under control.
“We call on the private security company to speedily resolve their labour disputes in a manner that does not affect their contractual obligations to the hospital.”
A shop steward representing the workers under the Academic Professional Staff Association union, Bernard Matsekoleng, said only 10 out of 210 officers had been paid. “Most of the officers did not receive their salaries on the 15th, so we went to the Born to Protect offices to find out why people were not paid but the gates were closed. Our calls are not answered and e-mails we sent bounced back, so that’s why we decided to strike.”
Drie mans van Pretoria wat daarvan beskuldig word dat hulle ʼn egpaar in Montana aangerand het, het Vrydag in die landdroshof in Pretoria-Noord verskyn.
Landdros Motlhoki Rapulana het na die mans se aansoek om borgtog geluister en gesê sy het tyd nodig om die bewyse te bestudeer, voordat sy haar besluit op 30 Augustus bekend sal maak.
Staatsaanklaer Ronnie Sibanda voer aan die mans moet nie vrygelaat word nie, aangesien hul veiligheid nie gewaarborg is nie en ʼn gevoel van vrede in die gemeenskap ondermyn kan word. “Die aansoek om borgtog moet ook in die belang van die publiek wees, aangesien die voorval in die publieke arena plaasgevind het.”
Stephan Nel (39), Joshua Scholtz (21) en Dicky Junior van Rooyen (21) staan tereg op aanklagte van poging tot moord, aanranding met die doel om ernstig te beseer en die rig van ʼn vuurwapen. Hul een medebeskuldigde, Marius Harding (23), het sy aansoek om borgtog laat vaar en nog ʼn beskuldigde, Ockert Muller (20), se aansoek om borgtog is reeds goedgekeur.
Die mans word daarvan beskuldig dat hulle Jacob Sono en sy vrou Dudu op 2 Augustus by die KFC-deurrybaan in Montana, Pretoria, aangerand het. Video’s van die voorval is wyd op sosiale media versprei.
Konst. William Tladi, ʼn ondersoekbeampte in die saak, het vroeër tydens die aansoek om borgtog getuig en het aan die hof gesê Sono kon aan ʼn hartaanval gesterf het. Hy het gesê Sono se mond en ore het gebloei nadat hy by die kitskosrestaurant aangeval is. Hy was die tweede getuie om die borgtogaansoek van die mans teen te staan.
Tladi het aan die hof gesê beskuldigde nommer een, Stephan Nel, het by die toneel aangekom toe die bakleiery begin het, en hy het ʼn vuurwapen op Sono gerig voor hy hom saam met sy medebeskuldigdes geslaan het. “Dit is hoekom ek die borgtog teenstaan. ʼn Persoon kan sterf as jy hom teen die kop slaan.”
Adv. Francois Kriel, vir Schultz, voer aan Sono is vir ʼn knop op sy kop behandel en ʼn gebarste membraan in sy oor wat binne ʼn paar dae genees het. Hy hou vol die beserings was nie ernstig of lewensgevaarlik nie.
Tladi het aan die hof gesê die aanvallers het nie net die egpaar fisies aangeval nie, maar ook rassistiese uitlatings gemaak.
Daar is egter geen aanklagte wat met rassisme en crimen injuria verband hou op die klagstaat nie.
Nel se prokureur, Nols Nolte, het aan die hof gesê Tladi is nie vertroud met die besonderhede van die saak nie, en hy het net opdrag gekry om hof toe te kom en die borgtogaansoek teen te staan. Nolte wou weet waarom daar geen klag van crimen injuria is nie, indien Dudu Sono beledig is, aldus die polisie se weergawe.
Tladi het gesê hy het nie die klaers se verklarings geneem of die klagtes geformuleer nie. Hy het gesê hy het die dossier ontvang om ondersoek in te stel.
Tseko Mojalefa Rabotho (29) het Vrydag in die gespesialiseerde handelsmisdaadhof in Pretoria verskyn op aanklag van korrupsie.
Rabotho is op 17 Augustus deur die Valke in hegtenis geneem op aanklag van bedrog, korrupsie en geldwassery ten waarde van R93 miljoen, het lt.kol. Robert Netshiunda, woordvoerder van die Valke, gesê. Hy het aanvanklik op 21 Augustus in die hof verskyn waar dit aan die lig gekom het dat hy ʼn aantal bates, insluitend twee luukse eiendom en 19 motors, bekom het, wat nooit gefinansier is nie.
“Net voor Rabotho Donderdag vir sy aansoek om borgtog in die hof sou verskyn, wou sy pa, Jackie Nicholas Rabhoto (57) die ondersoekbeampte by die Valke se kantoor in Pretoria glo met R52 000 kontant omkoop,” het Netshiunda verduidelik. “Hy is dadelik in hegtenis geneem. Hy het ʼn verdere R48 000 kontant in sy besit gehad.”
Jackie het Vrydag in die hof verskyn op aanklag van korrupsie.
Die twee mans moet weer op 31 Augustus in die hof verskyn.
Tshwane commuters can expect some relief as taxis are expected to operate normally this morning.
On Wednesday, operators blocked several roads causing massive delays while protesting to the Tshwane House to submit a memorandum to Mayor Solly Msimanga.
Among the issues raised by the drivers is that traffic contravention tickets be scrapped.
Taxis in the Tshwane area are expected to function without any hiccups at least for the next two weeks.
The Democratic Taxi Workers Union of South Africa (Detwusa)’s Themba Maseko says the government is responsible for providing taxi infrastructure, including pick-ups and drop offs.
He says drivers should not be fined for government’s failure.
“Our demands are the scrapping of the traffic fines because those fines block our PDPs and driver’s licenses and we can’t drive passengers without our PDPs.”
Maseko says the fines amount to hundreds of thousands of rands which prevent some drivers from renewing their public drivers’ licenses.
Detwusa has given the metro 14 days to respond to their queries or face yet another strike action.
Die Mededingingskommissie het Saterdag gesê daar was ʼn “sekuriteitsbreuk” by sy kantoor in Pretoria vroeër die week.
Sipho Ngwema, woordvoerder van die kommissie, het gesê twee skootrekenaars is Dinsdag by die afdeling gesteel wat verantwoordelik is vir ondersoeke na kartelgedrag.
“Die voorval is by die polisie aangemeld en die saak is deur die Valke oorgeneem vir verdere ondersoek,” het Ngwema gesê.
Hy het gesê die kommissie het die nodige voorsorgmaatreëls getref om veiligheid en sekuriteit op te skerp.
Carine van Staden (28), ʼn inwoner van Pretoria, is Donderdag voor haar verloofde glo deur ʼn weermaglid in die noorde van die stad geskiet.
Carine se pa, Johan van Staden (53), het Saterdag aan Maroela Media gesê sy dogter en haar verloofde, Johan Harmse (29), was omstreeks 18:00 van Daspoort op sy BMW-motorfiets op pad na vriende in Montana toe ʼn amptelike weermagvoertuig hulle naby Wonderboom Junction ligtelik getref het.
“Die voertuig, ʼn wit Audi, het weermagnommerplate gehad en ons het intussen vasgestel die jong man wat dit bestuur het, is glo ʼn drywer vir een van die generaals,” het Van Staden gesê.
“Die man het die motorfiets se voetrus getref waarop Carine se voete was en die man het toe net weggejaag,” het hy gesê.
Harmse het ʼn draagbare videokamera aan sy valhelm gehad, dit aangeskakel en die voertuig agterna gesit.
“Die verkeerslig by die hoek van Lavenderweg en Braam Pretoriusstraat was rooi en die man moes stilhou. Carine het afgeklim en hom genader om te hoor hoekom hy weggery het. Hy het bloot net sy deur oopgemaak en ’n pistool reguit in haar bors gedruk en haar ten aanskoue van haar verloofde en ander motoriste geskiet.”
Die man het daarna glo ook sy vuurwapen op Harmse, wat nog op sy motorfiets was, gerig voordat die verkeerslig groen geslaan en hy weggery het. Harmse se video van die voorval is aan die polisie as bewys oorhandig.
Carine is na die George Mukhari-hospitaal gehaas waar sy tans aansterk. “Die koeël het haar hart skrams gemis. Dit is deur haar linkerlong en agter haar rug uit. Haar long het platgeval, maar verder is geen ander organe beskadig nie. Sy is gelukkig ʼn sterk mens en is by haar positiewe. Sy is stabiel en dit gaan goed met haar onder die omstandighede.”
Harmse en Van Staden is ná haar opname na die Sinoville-polisiestasie om die voorval aan te meld. Dit was sowat ʼn uur en ʼn half ná die voorval. Die weermaglid was toe reeds daar en het, aldus Van Staden, aangevoer hy het gedink Carine wou hom kaap. Hy het nooit amptelik ʼn klag aanhangig gemaak nie.
Ao. Johan van Dyk, polisiewoordvoerder, het Saterdag aan Maroela Media bevestig aanvanklik is ʼn klag van die afvuur van ʼn vuurwapen in ʼn openbare gebied en roekelose en nalatige bestuur teen die man aanhangig gemaak voordat hy op waarskuwing vrygelaat is.
“Ons kan bevestig dat die saak intussen na ʼn poging tot moord verander is. Die polisie is besig met verdere ondersoek en is besig om almal se verklarings af te neem, waarna die dossier na die Nasionale Vervolgingsgesag verwys sal word om oor verdere stappe te besluit,” het Van Dyk gesê.
Dit is nie duidelik hoe lank dié prosedures gaan duur nie. Die weermaglid is nog nie in hegtenis geneem nie.
Pretoria – Residents of Faerie Glen in Pretoria East have threatened to take matters into their own hands to deal with an increase in crime in the area if police did not intervene.
They said the community was being held hostage by criminals after a surge in housebreakings and muggings over the past few months.
Reports of crime from the suburb and nearby Faerie Glen Nature Reserve have emerged, with the first crime inside the reserve taking place two weeks ago after a 10-year record of safety and security.
A woman was attacked while running on the trail in the reserve and all her gear, including shoes, cellphone, hydration backpack and sunglasses were taken.
Warnings began going up on social media, where trail runners were asked to be cautious and not to run on their own, as criminals, often wielding knives and wearing balaclavas, were on the prowl.
The criminals are said to gain entry into the nature reserve through Atterbury Bridge and using the Manitoba Bridge to gain access to the rest of the nature reserve and into the homes along its periphery.
20/07/2017. Manitoba bridge inside the Faerie Glen Nature Reserve which criminals use to gain accessto houses on the perifery. Picture: Bongani Shilulbanen
Homes hit are those located on the eastern side and last week residents said they were fed up with what they perceived as a lack of police action.
“We are going to be using maximum force to protect ourselves from these thugs.”
“Extreme situations require extreme measures,” said a resident who lives opposite the nature reserve in Glenwood Street.
He said on two occasions he had spotted burglars in his yard.
“They have stolen my hose pipe and rake,” he said.
Kefentse Mompei who lives adjacent to the reserve, said criminals were now becoming arrogant and doing as they pleased. Her clothes were stolen off her washing line, she said.
She said Faerie Glen Nature Reserve opposite her residential complex provided a hiding place for criminals.
“What is sad is that a resident will end up shooting and killing the perpetrators and they will be jailed for protecting their family,” said Mompei.
Community members said they were fed up and wanted a public meeting with police as soon as possible to discuss the setting-up of foot patrols.
Other residents said despite a police station being close to their homes they no longer felt safe.
Resident Maralise Louw said they wanted to call on all men in the community to come out and assist people going to work to protect them from being attacked.
“And also for men to go to the gates of the schools to make sure children going to school do so safely,” she said.
The chairperson of the Friends of the Faerie Glen Nature Reserve, Louise Kritzinger, said the fences along January Masilela, Glenwood and Manitoba roads needed maintenance.
The opening under the Atterbury Bridge which criminals use to gain access to Faerie Glen Nature Reserve. Picture: Bongani Shilulbanen
She said the makeshift fence, made of thin wooden poles, under the Atterbury Bridge needed to be reinforced properly if it was to keep criminals out.
A bushy area situated close to the Atterbury Bridge is where the criminals lived, the Pretoria News was told.
“We are going to suggest that the metro police remove the vagrants,” Kritzinger said.
The reserve was fenced off over a period of about five years from 2002, said Kritzinger.
Residents attributed the increase in crime in the area to development on the northern side of the reserve, adjacent to Lynnwood Road.
They said builders and job seekers had flooded into the area, leading to squatting on the mountain.
According to Kritzinger, after those developments were finished some people continued to live in the bushes, but they were removed from the reserve by mounted police patrols in 2006 and 2007.
Councillor Ernst Botha from Ward 44 said he had been in constant contact with Lieutenant Colonel Kervin Solomon of Garsfontein police, requesting intervention.
A meeting had yet to be set up, he said.
“As you may have become aware, Faerie Glen Nature Reserve has recently become a hot spot for criminal elements; myself and Councillor Pieter van Heerden from Ward 46, adjacent to Ward 44, have collectively been in discussions with various stakeholders to try to curb crime in the area,” said Botha.
They have also taken it up with the top structures within the city, including the departments of Community Safety, Emergency Services and the chairperson of Community Safety.
The city and police had not responded on the soaring crime rate by late on Sunday afternoon.
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