‘Open cases no matter how trivial’
Residents of Green Point and Sea Point say crime is on the increase, specifically robberies and muggings.
Heather Tager, chairperson of the Sea Point Community Police Forum (CPF), says not everyone reports incidents so statistics about crime are not accurate.
“While it is imperative that residents are aware of their surroundings, to minimise becoming a victim of crime, given how busy the area has become recently actual reported incidents would still appear to be relatively low. I once again encourage people to open cases no matter how trivial they might think it is,” Ms Tager said.
On November 1, Gail Els, 73, was walking home on Beach Road, between Marine and Fort roads, when her gold chain was snatched from her neck.
“She does not want to relive the incident but she told me it was three young boys that did this,” said her son Jason Els, 44, who lives in KwaZulu-Natal.
“My mother enjoys walking on the promenade and she has been doing this since she moved here a month ago. The gold chain was a gift from my late dad so it’s rather upsetting.”
Mr Els says that a few days later his mother and her friends witnessed a mugging.
“My mom is part of a group of ladies that go for walks and they saw a woman being attacked, the guys ran off with her bag and this happened close to the tennis courts in Sea Point,” he said.
Cat Robb, 53, of Green Point, was on her way to work at Sorbet (The Point) on Saturday November 5, at 9am, when she was attacked by a homeless man.
“I’ve been walking this route for years so I’m used to the people that I see on this path. I saw these little homeless girls bothering a homeless man that sleeps at the MyCiti bus stop on the corner of Glengariff. They threw stones at him and he retaliated,” said Ms Robb.
“I managed to avoid this altercation but when I walked past him he hit me from behind, I turned around and he hit me again. The next thing he grabbed me and flung me into the road. A couple driving past at that time stopped and assisted me. I was so angry because I walked past him so many times, he is not a troublesome person but because he was aggravated he lashed out at me,” she said.
Ms Robb says that the police arrived quickly, arrested the man, and advised her to file a report or the attacker would be back on the streets soon.
“I’ve got soft tissue damage and I was limping but I’m alright. I hear of these attacks more and more from my friends. One of them, Benji, was stabbed,” she said.
Benjamin Diederichs, 21, lives at a Green Point backpackers and was robbed and assaulted 100m from the lodgings at 5am on August 10.
“I was on my way to Andiccio’s to meet friends for a sunrise hike. I saw these two guys and I didn’t think much, they did not look suspicious, I also didn’t feel like I was in danger. But when I got closer to them and tried to walk past them that’s when they attacked,” said Mr Diederichs.
“This guy pushed me and demanded my wallet. I fought back but then the second guy joined in and they got me onto the ground, hitting and kicking me. I did not see the knife and I did not feel the stabbing,” he said.
After being stabbed twice, Mr Diederichs was taken to Somerset Hospital and given 32 staples and nine stitches.
“When I got up and tried to walk I felt something was very very wrong, I looked down and saw blood flowing from my body. I went to the backpackers and called for help and the security guys helped me, they had a first aid kit and called the ambulance. My friends came looking for me and they applied pressure to the wound. The ambulance only got there about 30 minutes later. The doctors at the hospital did an emergency operation and they saved my life,” he said.
His live tracking was activated and his friends confirmed that the last location for the cellphone was near Granger Bay. Mr Diederichs has not yet informed the police.
“I went to a police station close to the Waterfront and they said I should go to Sea Point. I just haven’t made time for that and I don’t believe they will catch these guys, but I will make the case,” he said.
Paul Jacobson is arranging a community walk “against street dwellers hurting our women”, which will start at the Sea Point promenade food court on Saturday November 19.
“Our visitors and residents are exposed regularly to what can often only be described as open drug scenes, with hard drugs being injected for all to see. With needles left strewn where children and dogs play. Further to this, our women and children are exposed to nudity and all manner of indecent behaviour by these vagrants, who are often in the grip of drug induced psychosis and untreated mental illness,” Mr Jacobson says.
Sea Point SAPS says the suspects are still unknown and the investigating officers will keep contact with the complainants throughout the investigation.
