POLOKWANE – Criminal activity on outlying smallholdings to the Louis Trichardt side in the Polokwane municipal area, has become an imminent threat to residents.
Last week, two double-wheeler motorcycles were stolen from a property, after criminals cut the electrical fence to gain access to the yard.
On Tuesday evening, a dog was found shot and a wound, seemed to have been caused by a knife, found on its body.
Some of the victims who spoke to Polokwane Observer say they did not detect any irregular noises or movements in the periods that these crimes were committed.
According to the area’s Community Policing Forum (CPF) chairperson, Lorraine Mothiba they suspect the criminals use substances to sedate the people in the area.
The CPF has been conducting minor operations at night in an effort to round up the criminals, including through Operation Disrupt where they patrol using blue lights vehicles to scare criminals away from the area.
Mothiba says, despite these efforts, they seem to be outnumbered.
“They have picked up on our patrolling hours, and now strike outside of those hours. We are now working on other ways to defeat them,” she says.
A number of residents, affected or unaffected, have said that they are thinking of selling their properties in the last weeks, as they are starting to feel unsafe.
“It causes huge panic when we are at work during the day. We keep our valuables in our homes, but these hooligans threaten our safety. The best thing is to leave, as not even electrical fences are here to exempt us from crime,” one resident says. I imagine what they could do to me, if they could hurt animals like that,” another resident added.
Despite these incidents, area police station commander, Lt Col Maimele Pilusa on Friday said they have not received official complaints.
He urged the affected community members to open cases for the sake of investigations to ensue. “If residents do not open cases, we assume all is well in that area and we can’t launch an investigation. Let us know what is happening in your areas.”
Most of the victims say they haven’t opted to open cases, citing their lack of trust in the justice system.
