Town gripped in crime wave

Date: 06 November 2014 By: Isabel Venter

Following a spate of violent armed robberies, the business community of Louis Trichardt is living in fear.

An increased number of attacks and robberies on businesspeople, some of whom were killed in the process, occurred during October. Now, at the beginning of November, the onslaught not only seems to continue, but also seems to escalate in violence. Especially the Indian business sector was hit hard.

Last week saw two prominent Indian businesses, Easy Build and Timbercity in Louis Trichardt, being robbed within a matter of days of each other.

On Wednesday, 29 October, Timbercity was the target of burglars. Employees only realised that they had been robbed the following morning, when they discovered the hole that the burglars had punched in the wall of a back office. Through this hole, the robbers carried out thousands of rands worth of stock and smaller amounts of cash that had still been in the office. It is suspected that the thugs might have fled with their booty into the adjacent municipal bird sanctuary.

On Thursday, 30 October, two men walked into Easy Build, pretending to be customers wanting to pay their account. They gained entry into the payment office and, once inside the office, they pulled out a concealed firearm and demanded money. They made off with an undisclosed amount of cash.

On Monday, 3 November, another Indian businessman (who remains unidentified) was kidnapped while he was on his way to the bank to deposit money. Police spokesperson Const Irene Radzilane said the businessman was just about to walk into the bank when an armed assailant forced him into a waiting vehicle with three more thugs inside.

The four robbers drove around with the businessman for several hours before dropping him off 20 km from Louis Trichardt and fleeing with all his money.

Only one arrest was made and that was in connection with the break-in at Timbercity. Radzilane confirmed on Wednesday morning that one male suspect was in custody and had yet to appear in court at the time of our going to press.

In the meantime, Radzilane has also confirmed that the Makhado police are in the process of scheduling an urgent meeting with the Indian businesses community to discuss various security and policing issues with them. The Zoutpansberger also learned from some of these businesses, who wish to remain anonymous for fear of future attacks, that they have increased their personal security. “Everyone is scared and on edge - afraid that they might be next,” remarked one business.

Radzilane also confirmed that the Makhado police are increasing their crime-prevention programmes for Louis Trichardt. These programmes, which are traditionally launched at the start of November, have already kicked off in October, due the high number of violent crimes being committed in town. “We are increasing our efforts,” said Radzilane. 

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Isabel Venter

Isabel joined the Zoutpansberger and Limpopo Mirror in 2009 as a reporter. She holds a BA Degree in Communication Sciences from the University of South Africa. Her beat is mainly crime and court reporting.

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