According to Captain Mega Ndobe, the SAPS’s media officer for the clusters, the latest warning follows a series of incidents involving young people who were robbed, and others who were assaulted by gangs of marauding criminals who seemed to target couples and individuals seated in parked cars in the township’s streets in the evenings.
The criminals’ modus operandi was reminiscent of the of the notorious Soweto “Lovers’ Lane Serial Rapist”, Joseph Mahlangu, in the 1970s, The former Orlando East serial rapist-cum-killer terrorised couples around the Baragwanath Hospital, most of them young female nursing students at the hospital’s training college. The Kathorus attackers on the other hand operated as a group and the result of their reign of terror was nowhere near the atrocities committed by the Soweto serial rapist to his female victims and their partners. However, Capt Ndobe said the police were not taking any chances.
Capt Ndobe described the victims of this latest crime trend as mainly young men and women in their mid-teens, 30s or early 40s. He said although there had been no rape or murder linked to the attacks, the police could not guarantee this would not happen in future.
“That is why we want the public’s cooperation in creating this awareness among communities through the media,” the Captain explained.
“Most of these reported incidents happen in the evenings as residents arrive back from work and park their vehicles on the pavement while they open the gate. Others are unsuspecting visitors who park their vehicles on the pavement while they pop into the house. And there are boyfriends and girlfriends who arrive to drop off their sweetheart but decide to have a little passion play in the parked car,” explained Capt Ndobe, who said the gang then took advantage of the moment and pounced on the unsuspecting couple.
Meanwhile, a man who is believed to have been part of a gang that attacked a policeman in Phola Park was shot and killed when the police officer returned fire. Capt Ndobe, however, refused to link the incident to the current gang attacks. Investigations still had to be conducted to prove if there were any links between the two attacks, he said.
In separate attacks reported in the areas below, Capt Ndobe, said terrified victims were then robbed of their personal belongings before the gang fled the scene. He listed the incident scenes as follows:
· Spruitview
· Eden Park
· Phola Park
· Riverside
· Ramokonopi Section.
Ndobe warned residents, especially those who drive, to be vigilant, especially when they left or arrived at their intended destinations and particularly at night. “People must not park on the pavements, even if it is in front of their homes. Rather drive into the yard and lock the gate behind you”, said Capt Ndobe.
The police even gave a few tips on how not to be caught unawares:
· Be vigilant and aware of what is happening around you at all times.
· Ensure you are not followed to or from your house.
· If you are, drive straight to the nearest police station.
· Call the SAPS’s emergency numbers from your cellphone.
· Never park outside your or your hosts’ yard, especially at night.
· Park inside your yard at all times.
· Never sit inside the car alone at night.
