Westville ATM guards offer safety advice
In the latest incident a 33-year-old man was stabbed multiple times after he was confronted by two men who had demanded that he hand over the money he had drawn money from an ATM.
CENTRAL Westville is experiencing an increase in attacks on people near the First National Bank and ATM and police are investigating the latest incident with the help of CCTV camera footage.
According to Captain Captain Nqobile Gwala of the SAPS KwaZulu-Natal: Media Centre, the victim of the attack, aged 33, reported having been confronted by two men armed with knives who demanded he hand over cash which he had just withdrawn from the ATM, on Monday July 2, at about 8pm.
“When he refused, they stabbed him in the back and face before fleeing the scene on foot. He was taken to hospital for medical attention and nothing was taken from the him. Charges of robbery and assault GBH were opened at Westville police station for investigation,” said Gwala.
According to community info groups on social media this is the third robbery in the area in the past three weeks and they have advised people to “consider their service suppliers carefully at night time, especially away from secure shopping centres.”
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The scope of the investigation, including the absence of security at the ATM during specific times of the day, was confirmed by chairman of the Westville Community Policing Forum, Wayne Le Roux.
“It was discussed at the last CPF executive committee meeting,” he said. “I have been there myself during the times that these sorts of attacks have taken place, and there isn’t any security at the ATM.”
However, a Highway Mail reporter went to the ATMs in question on Monday night and met not one, but two security guards tasked with keeping people using the ATM safe, 24 hours a day.
Peter Mkhabela and Phiwo Hlambisa, both from Enforce security’s Excellerate Security Services, cover the day and night shifts respectively and hand over to each other at each shift’s end and beginning, which was when we managed to catch them both outside the ATM at the same time.
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Mkhabela said people who feel unsafe when visiting the ATM should know they are there to keep them safe.
“If they get there and they feel unsure because they are worried about people in the vicinity, they should speak to us, or go away and come back later,” he advised.
Both men agreed that the level of security at the ATMs had been improved of late, but couldn’t comment on whether that was as a result of the recent attack.
Attempts to contact FNB head office about the incidents have proved futile.
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