Reliable sources with the security industry, who spoke on condition of anonymity, pointed out that already in areas like Soweto and certain townships in Pretoria, police have received backup from security company personnel to help fight crime, including incidents involving “spike crimes” in these townships.
The source believes that with the cops clamping down on crime on the freeways, the spike gangs could turn their attention to motorists on urban streets and roads.
The sources added they hope and pray the police will continue their onslaught against the gangs and keep the travellers on these freeways safe, especially at night.
Such sporadic spike crimes came into the spotlight almost a year ago after the first few incidents were reported to the police along the N4 between Gauteng and Mbombela. Unsuspecting motorists were surprised by sudden raptures of their tyres after driving over spiked steel plates placed on the road.
The gang would then pounce on the distraught driver and his passengers, who were often members of the same family travelling together and subsequently robbed of their belongings.
The N4 incidents sparked fear among travellers and led to fewer motorists travelling on the road after dark.
But instead of stopping their activity, the initial spike gang is believed to have splintered into groups and different members have been moved to other major provincial roads where they continue to terrorise motorists driving at night by placing spiked steel plates on the road.
Two weeks ago in Pretoria, a police officer in an unmarked vehicle fell prey to such a gang. Luckily, he quickly sprung out of his car after he hit something that raptured the vehicle’s tyres and managed to shoot one of the robbers dead while the rest fled the scene.
Since then, sources claim there has been a noticeable lull in the number of vehicle spiking incidents on the flowing roads – N3, N4, R80 and R101.
Kathorus MAIL has established that an estimated five motorists were murdered by the gangs during robberies and over 20 members of the various spike gangs have been and killed during clashes with the police over some time.
Sources give the average age of the gang members as ranging between 28 and 55 years.
Victims are attacked at night and many have been viciously assaulted and had their belongings forcefully taken away from them as they are left to die.
This is also not racially motivated, as the gangs have no mercy whether you are black or white.
“They just brutalise you and take whatever they want from you,” said Gideon Tembani, a security vehicle driver who looks after bank repossessed homes for a leading security company.
And while the cops seem to have eased the pressure on some of the main roads by neutralising the spike gangs, let us all just keep our fingers crossed that the criminals do not migrate their games to our neighbourhoods.
Other potentially dangerous roads worth keeping in mind when travelling at night are the N12 (passing through parts of Soweto), N17 through Springs and N3 passing through Vosloorus.
Motorists and truck drivers are urged to take precautions when driving through these areas at all times.
