Businesses believe that Maboneng Precinct and surrounding areas have recently been terrorised by an alleged cellphone-snatching syndicate, with the latest incident occurring outside the premises of a business on Fox Street on January 29.
The suburb is a popular tourist destination in the innercity and is covered in graffiti that reflects its youthful and vibrant dynamic.
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However, according to a business owner, the snatching of cellphones from unsuspecting visitors, particularly those who sit at outside restaurant tables, has escalated into a crisis.
The business owner, who did not want to be named, said he witnessed a patron who was having a cellphone conversation, being accosted before having their phone snatched out of their hand.
He says the perpetrators are smartly dressed and blend in with the crowd.
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The business owner said the alleged syndicate’s modus operandi, is to drive past in a car, typically one that has no identifiable number plates, before stopping and having a single occupant disembark.
The perpetrator, under the pretence of making a phone call, then gets as close as possible to an unsuspecting victim.
“The guy gets close enough and then he grabs a victim’s cellphone from their hand and quickly runs back to the car,” he said.
“As business people in the area, when we see a car with three or four people driving past, it raises a flag, and we think it should be the same with the security personnel, because that’s the tactic these criminals use time and time again.”
Jeppe SAPS spokesperson Capt Richard Munyayi said there have been several reported cases, but no arrests have been made.
“We do have cases that have been reported at the police station, but I cannot say how many,” said Munyayi.
“I haven’t heard of any arrest since the suspects are unknown and they normally drive off to escape.”
Munyayi refuted the business owners’ claim that there is a lack of Jeppe police visibility in the area.
“Police officers are deployed on a daily basis, while we have 17 new police officers who started to work in December last year,” said Munyayi.
“They are deployed to do foot patrols, although they do not focus only on one area since our area of policing is too big and includes four sectors.
“As far as I know there will be mobile kiosks that will be supplied by the Department of Gauteng Community Safety very soon, of which the date I am not sure of the date, but it’s definitely in the pipelines.”
