EDITOR – Following the comments made by Umbilo SAPS’s Beverley Manqele concerning the petrol bombing and what people must do following a crime I wish to put my side of the story after the attack on my attendant.
Immediately after the attack we phoned 10111 and they never attended the scene. After visiting Jerome in hospital I went to the Umbilo charge office at around 7pm to open a case of public violence, intimidation and display of weapons. The assault case would have to wait until Jerome was fit and able to open it himself.
The officer on duty flatly refused to open the public violence and display of weapons case. I stood my ground (which including phoning Di Kohler Barnard) and insisted that he phone his superior. After that he opened a case of intimidation.
In our incident we gave the detectives a copy of all the CCTV footage but unfortunately Manqele is a little bit optimistic expecting victims to give a description of “suspicious” people when a crime is committed within seconds.
Having said this I believe our laws have hamstrung the powers of police to enforce law and order. They are terrified to take strong action, even as their lives are at risk, in case some office bound policy maker suspends them. Hence the protestors (not peaceful by any stretch of the imagination) know they are protected game and carry on with impunity.
One has to ask why a 17yr old girl was anywhere near the fracas at Cato Crest?
Tony Ball
Bulwer Park Service Station
