Ward councillor robbed at Beachwood Mangroves
A case of robbery has been opened at the Durban North SAPS police station.
UMHLANGA ward councillor, Nicole Bollman, was the victim of a robbery at the Beachwood Mangroves Nature Reserve on Monday afternoon. The incident, the third this year at the reserve, involved a suspect holding Bollman up with a broken bottle and demanding her cell phone.
The local resident had organised a Day of Reconciliation beach clean-up and was in the process of making sure all participants and visitors had left the reserve when the robbery occurred at about 12.30pm.
“Most of the participants had left after the clean-up and I was making sure there was no one else inside the reserve. I spotted a vehicle still parked at the reserve and had earlier seen a man and his son. I decided to walk on the boardwalk at the reserve to see if I could spot them when the suspect began walking towards me. I asked if he had seen the duo and he politely replied he had not. He was well-spoken and well-dressed.
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“As I turned my back on him he ran up and aggressively demanded my cell phone. His tone and his demeanour changed straight away. I threw my phone at him and pleaded with him not to hurt me. I told him that’s all I have. He pointed in the direction of Beachwood Beach and told me to run away. As I ran along the boardwalk I began screaming for help and tried to alert the honorary officers at the Beachwood Mangroves Education Centre,” she explained.
Shaken, Bollman asked a passerby on the beach for help who lent her his cell phone.
“I was quite shaken by the the whole incident. I later saw a photo of the suspect involved in the armed robberies earlier this year and I identified him as the suspect. I would also like to warn other visitors to the reserve to not to isolate themselves and to make an appointment before visiting the reserve,” Bollman said.
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Earlier this year, Ezemvelo communications manager Musa Mntambo reminded visitors going to the reserve could only do so by appointment.
“Beachwood has an Educational and Corporate Booking procedures and special open days for the public. The public is requested to call the reserve on 082 559 2839 to enquire about entry by appointment if there is no exclusive booking for that day,” he said.
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