Vagrants wreak havoc

Problematic vagrants wreaked havoc in Edenvale last week.

In the space of just three days, two vagrants were arrested and thousands of Rands worth of damage was caused.

In the first incident, a vagrant was arrested after he went berserk at the Edenvale Post Office, breaking 75 windows and smashing eight fluorescent lights.

Investigator for SGG, Mr Gerhard Venter, said a resident alerted reaction officers to “a mentally unstable man” causing damage to windows at the post office on Monday night last week.

“Three vehicles responded and found the man inside the Post Office. He was arrested on the scene and handed to the Edenvale SAPS for processing,” said Mr Venter.

An estimated R180 000 worth of damage was caused.

Acting spokesperson for the Edenvale SAPS, Lieutenant Colonel Robbie Roberts, confirmed that the man was charged with malicious damage to property.

“He was transported to the Tembisa Hospital where he was scheduled to undergo a psychiatric evaluation. Once the evaluation has been completed, the court will decide if the man is fit to stand trial,” said Lt Col Roberts.

In the second incident reported, another vagrant went a little too far to conceal his crime by attempting to eat the evidence.

His crime was defecating in the doorway of a dentistry in the CBD.

According to the chairperson of the Edenvale Community Police Forum (ECPF), Mrs Linda McKenzie, reaction officers from Mamba were called when a resident spotted the vagrant using the local dentistry doorway as a toilet.

“When he saw the reaction officers, he quickly tried to dispose of the evidence by eating it. But when he realised there was too much evidence to consume, he tried to run away,” said Mrs McKenzie.

The then naked man ran down the street for several meters before he was arrested.

“This particular vagrant has previously been caught doing the same thing. He is also known to smear his faeces on shop walls and windows,” said Mrs McKenzie.

Reports were also received that the Khanyisa Soup Kitchen on Eighth Avenue was vandalised.

No arrests have been made.

“There are four problematic vagrants in Edenvale who seem to get more violent as time passes,” said Mrs McKenzie.

Incidents have been reported where these same vagrants have attacked and damaged vehicles.

Many residents fear it is only a matter of time before any one of these vagrants seriously injures a resident.

“Last year we initiated a project with social workers from Tembisa to help these vagrants. We were able to trace their families who thought these men were dead. They were then assisted in their applications for identity documents (ID) through Home Affairs. Once they have their IDs, we will assist them with obtaining social grants from the government before we send them back to their families,” said Mrs McKenzie.

“Unfortunately, these men have been using glue and it seems to have made them unstable. Their families are desperate to have them back but we cannot send them without their IDs,” she said.