Irate community blames Dannhauser man’s death on inaction by local police

The death of a Dannhauser man, who had attempted to apprehend a thief early on Saturday morning, has caused outrage in the town – with some calling on the KZN Provincial SAPS Commissioner to investigate what they say is a lack of action from the local police station. Roy Singh’s residence in Hibiscus Road was targeted by a thief at around 02:00, community members say.
They allege that the SAPS failed to respond to calls to come out to the scene.

“At about 06:00, the thief tried to break into his home. Fed up with the inaction, Mr Singh took action himself and courageously chased after the individual. Tragically, while pursuing the perpetrator in a nearby field, Mr Singh collapsed and suffered a fatal heart attack,” said community activist Farzanah Dookie, chairperson of the Dannhauser Community Helping Hands group.

“Dannhauser SAPS fail to respond promptly to our calls for assistance. Whenever we call Dannhauser SAPS, they are never on time and they always have the same excuse: ‘Vans are out in the location’. As a result, they only arrive after the crime has been committed, leaving us feeling vulnerable and unprotected. This inaction has emboldened criminals, putting our lives and property at risk. Lack of effective policing erodes trust in the SAPS and undermines community safety.”

She said the KZN SAPS Commissioner has been petitioned to investigate and come up with ways to improve the response time to emergencies, improve communication, and take steps to alleviate any resource challenges that Dannhauser SAPS may be facing. The KZN Provincial SAPS Commissioner’s office has been contacted for comment and this will be published once received.

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