Residents and small business operators in Comet Village complain they are left at the mercy of armed gangs of robbers, with little or no support from the police.
This complaint comes hardly two years after the same community blockaded Rondebult Road in protest against an alleged lack of support from the police in dealing with the series of crimes that saw several women in the area raped, sexually harassed and robbed of their belongings.
According to the concerned residents, who asked not to be named, they have noted a trend in businesses (spaza shops) targeted by gangs of robbers in the area, and some of them had been hit multiple times, apparently by the same gangs.
In one of the latest armed robbery cases in the area, a shop was ransacked twice within a space of about four months, reportedly by the same gangs.
The suspects were caught on CCTV camera, threatening the shop owner and his employees with guns, before taking money from the tills and helping themselves to stock, including packets of soap, airtime vouchers, perfume and deodorant.
The robbers, described as African males, were seen leaving with the stolen goods, worth about R16 000, in a white Nissan NP200.
Both incidents were reported to the police, and the victim shared the CCTV footage, also seen by the Advertiser, with the police in February. However, the suspects are still at large.
The victims and residents expressed their concerns about how the matter is being handled by police, saying the robberies are among dozens of cases that have become cold cases regardless of the evidence presented to the police.
“We are now fearing for our lives because the criminals who should be behind bars are walking free and repeatedly targeting our businesses.
“We understand that finding them may be a challenge for the police, but I think circulating the video footage and the photos we gave them can be a potential game-changer that could gain help from the public or they (the robbers) will never come back here because people will easily identify them,” said one of the shop owners.
Another resident, a woman, said she is concerned that the lack of intervention in these cases would send the wrong message to the perpetrators that in this area you can easily get away with crime.
“We are not safe here. If these gangs can commit such crimes with no consequences, then there is nothing that will stop them from doing so again and again.
“The fact that the gunmen operating here are not being arrested and victims are not getting any feedback is a clear sign the police are doing nothing about the situation. They only come here after the crimes had been committed and then disappear.
“One of the targeted businesses closed down, so what will happen when they (the robbers) one day come back to find that their targets are not here? They will target our homes,” said the resident.
Another resident pointed out that their area is barely 3km from the police station, but the police response time and turnout for attending crime scenes is very poor, and the situation is made worse by virtually no feedback on cases from investigators.
“Here, police vans are only seen entering and leaving illegal shebeens, and we don’t know what is happening behind those walls,” said the resident.
Boksburg SAPS spokesperson Sgt Ntsako Ledwaba confirmed the robbery incidents in the area and admitted that police have CCTV footage and photos of the suspects.
“The investigating officer has eagerly asked me to release the photos and footage of the robberies and encourage the public to help identify and tracking down the suspects.
“However, we were advised by management to put that process on hold until further notice,” said Ledwaba, who could not clearly explain why the release of the video footage was put on hold.
In another robbery this month, gunmen targeted another spaza shop and assaulted the owner. He told residents it was the same gang that had previously attacked the business.
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