CrimeEditor's choiceNews
Man beaten to death with a brick at Edenvale Skate Park
The suspect will be charged with murder once arrested.
The body of a man beaten to death with a brick was discovered this morning at the Edenvale Skate Park.
The acting spokesperson for the Edenvale SAPS, Lieutenant Colonel Robbie Roberts, told the NEWS the victim was living as a vagrant at the skate park.
It is believed an altercation broke out between the victim and the suspect last night.
“The suspect in the matter is known to the SAPS and we hope to make an arrest soon,” said Lt Col Roberts.
The suspect will be charged with murder once arrested.
What a pity that a human life has so little value!
The counsel is partly to blame for this. Being too lazy to take any action as to what is happening with the skatepark.I have tried 3 different times to get some sort of a lease or agreement too turn it into a community project and every time being fooled into meetings that have nothing to do with the skate park. The last time sitting in a meeting for domestic workers for 2 hours, and this was done by the ward counselor. So well done on another avoidable situation Edenvale counsel.
If only the council would help assist us keeping the place clean and safe, us as skateboarders have tried so many times to keep the grounds safe clean and friendly for all kids and family to enjoy over the week end or when ever.. there’s so much potential for the grounds with regards to a skate park for kids ..its been a part of people’s lives for many years ,I myself have grown up skating there and it’s brought many new faces and friendships along the way… so if the counsel manages to see this why not try get hold of some of us skateboarders or who ever and try to work along side us making the future for positive recreational space for all like it used to be,alot of us have the potential to make this place great with the help of the counsel ,if they ever keen to listen and help us out for once.
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that rubble combined with poverty, homelessness, drug addiction and unemployment can have potentially devastating effects. Such was the case here, a fight between a number of people with loads of primitive weaponry lying around (bricks). I’m getting tired of feeling insecure. At almost every street corner I can spot at least one brick lying around. In our country, with the so many social problems we have, having bricks lying around all over the place isn’t a good idea. The local authority should create a department responsible for cleaning up all the debris and rubble from streets, fields, dilapidated buildings etc. Our urban spaces should be as pristine as possible, free from primitive weaponry and other objects that can be converted into weapons during unfortunate and sudden bursts of violence. Lets clean the urban spaces and let’s ‘disarm’ the bad people out there. If rocks and bricks are out of sight, they will also be out of mind…!!!
Vagrancy is a sad feature of our society. However, nothing should be done that cannot be undone. By leaving the skate park in a total state of neglect, the council indirectly created an opportunity for these vagrants to live in that space. More urban spatial control should be exercised by the council and the police. That means identifying trouble hot spots (dilapidated buildings etc) that make possible a homeless life. The more control we exert upon these spots, the safer it will be for all. The reason why there are so many cold murder cases in the vagrant community is precisely because we have lost control over these areas and over the vagrants who live in these areas. We seem not to care and we go on with our everyday life… until something goes wrong! I’m not suggesting this as a ‘solution’ to homelessness; I don’t think there will ever be a solution. All I’m saying is that by caring more, by cleaning trouble spots of rubble, by sealing dilapidated buildings, by getting to know the vagrants… will go a long way towards regaining that much needed spatial control that is necessary for the wellbeing and safety of the entire community!