A TRAUMATISED Wyebank mother is calling on authorities to implement stricter security measures at malls.
This urgent plea comes after her nine-year-old daughter was almost kidnapped by armed men during a mugging at Pine Crest Centre parking lot on Wednesday, 30 September.
ALSO READ: Woman’s traumatic ordeal sheds light on police incompetence
Skye Dabber’s plea has also placed a spotlight on the need for increased police presence around Pinetown after claims of other people being robbed inside the mall have surfaced.
Dabber, who moved to Pinetown recently with her friend, Kobus Reyneke, said, “I was involved in a car accident and have a disability on my leg so I can’t move around much. My friend helps me with shopping and picks up my daughter from school.”
Speaking about the traumatising ordeal, Reyneke said he parked on Kings Road and started walking toward the entrance of the mall.
“I saw two men, one of them asked if I could take a picture of him. I said no and we continued walking. He blocked me and I pushed him. Another man walked past me and told me that my phone was sticking out of my pocket, I put it back in,” he said.
“We went into the shop inside the mall and when they came out, the same man was outside and asked me again to take a picture of him,” added Reyneke.
In a blink of an eye, Reyneke said they were surrounded by five men.
“One of the men took out a knife. I saw them grabbing the child’s arm and I heard them saying they will take her. I just took out the phone and gave it to them. A phone is replaceable, but not a life,” he said.
Dabber said her daughter is still traumatised by this incident.
“When will this stop? I shared a post on social media and there were so many people who responded with their own experiences.
ALSO READ: Pinetown motorist stabbed repeatedly for cellphone
“I go ice-cold when I think about this situation. I don’t know what I would have done if they took my child. I would have lost my mind. Are police waiting for people to die before they take action?” asked Dabber.
‘It happened outside the centre’ – Pine Crest
Pine Crest Centre manager, Michael Larsen said they viewed the footage after being notified of the incident.
“We can confirm that the incident did in fact not take place at our Kings Road entrance as alluded, but in fact took place in the open parking area on Glenugie Road. The victims were walking along Kings Road and crossed over into this open parking area in Glenugie and were confronted by five men.
He said this is roughly 80 to 90 metres from our entrance on Kings Road.
“It is unfortunate when instances such as this occurs which is to the exterior of our building and not within our power to control.
“The friend of the victim was interviewed by the head of our security the following day and a meeting was set up with the crime forum in the area to discuss tactics and strategies on how to minimise such instance to customers prior to entering or exiting our centre.
When asked about the claims of muggings inside the centre, Larsen said, “To the best of my knowledge, no customers have been robbed while inside Pine Crest.
In addition, Larsen said as centre management, they endeavour and strive to protect all shoppers during their shopping experience at the centre.
Pinetown Cluster communications officer, Capt Bongumusa Manqele confirmed that a case has been opened at Pinetown SAPS.
He said police were aware of the muggings in that area which is the reason there are police vehicles which patrol regularly.”Police are investigating a case of robbery and no one has been arrested as yet,” said Manqele.
Caxton Local Media Covid-19 reporting
Dear reader, As your local news provider, we have the duty of keeping you factually informed on Covid-19 developments. As you may have noticed, mis- and disinformation (also known as “fake news”) is circulating online. Caxton Local Media is determined to filter through the masses of information doing the rounds and to separate truth from untruth in order to keep you adequately informed. Local newsrooms follow a strict pre-publication fact-checking protocol. A national task team has been established to assist in bringing you credible news reports on Covid-19. Readers with any comments or queries may contact National Group Editor Irma Green (irma@caxton.co.za) or Legal Adviser Helene Eloff (helene@caxton.co.za). At the time of going to press, the contents of this feature mirrored South Africa’s lockdown regulations.
Do you want to receive alerts regarding this and other Highway community news via Telegram? Send us a Telegram message (not an SMS) with your name and surname (ONLY) to 060 532 5409. You can also join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
