Rising crime wave in Tongaat CBD sparks business owners’ fight for safety

Caught in the grip of an alarming crime spike in the Tongaat central business district (CBD), fed-up business owners say they have no choice but to mobilise themselves to fight the problem.

Gathering at the Tongaat Community Hall last week to form an interim committee to address the escalating problem, some business owners and residents said they have lost faith in the police, one of the reasons why crimes are often not reported.

The business owners’ mission is to establish a robust business watch initiative and explore comprehensive solutions to combat the rising tide of crime.

Businessmen who spoke to the Courier, said over the past three weeks at least 19 businesses in the Tongaat CBD fell victim to criminal activities.

The most recent incident saw a brazen armed robbery at a jewellery store, where seven armed assailants stormed in, making off with jewellery worth R150 000 last Monday.

On their way out, they fired shots at a Reaction Unit South African security officer who responded to the crime scene.

Before this incident, two men operating a cell phone repair shop were held up at gunpoint by three assailants, resulting in the loss of both repaired cell phones and cash, amounting to thousands of rands.

Other businesses, including a Chinese shop, also fell victim to armed robberies, causing fear to grip the business owners.

“I have been running my business for years and had never been robbed. It’s a very stressful situation right now because we recently came out of Covid and the looting. So most of us are still trying to get back on our feet, and now this. It’s unacceptable,” said a local business owner who asked not to be named.

Apart from the recent business robberies, Tongaat has had at least four murder cases in the past week.

On Sunday afternoon, a 40-year-old man who worked at a bar in Tongaat CBD was stabbed and killed.

On Thursday, a 28-year-old Zimbabwean was killed, supposedly by a colleague during a fight, also in the Tongaat CBD. Later that day, a 24-year-old man was shot outside a supermarket in Seatides and later died.

Last Monday, a 36-year-old businessman was shot and killed in Magwaveni.

The Tongaat police station’s management attended the meeting and presented their crime statistics.

But business owners said it was evident the statistics did not reflect the true extent of the problem.

According to police statistics only seven armed robberies had occurred in the CBD from January to date, a figure widely disputed by those present in light of the 19 cases they claim occurred over the past few weeks – a clear sign that crime is not being reported to the police.

Police urged business owners to always report crime no matter how insignificant they might think it is.

Another pressing issue highlighted during the meeting was the dire shortage of resources at the police station.

With only 101 employees, including administrative staff, and just 42 officers, the station’s capacity is severely stretched, head of detectives Colonel Fathima Perumaul said.

Of the 31 vehicles at their disposal, eight were inoperable.

“We will be increasing the number of crime prevention members, while patrols in the CBD have been intensified. We are in discussions with private security companies willing to collaborate in maintaining a crime-free CBD,” said Perumaul.

Follow The North Coast Courier on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & YouTube for breaking news

Telegram Broadcast Service: https://t.me/joinchat/yJULuN8NaCs5OGM0