Danger lurks at unsafe dump

Update

GEORGE NEWS - Security at the George municipal dumping site will hopefully be stepped up following yet another attack at the notorious crime hotspot. The latest incident took place last Friday morning, 21 February, when a woman and her gardener were attacked while offloading scrap metal from her bakkie.

George Municipality's Director of Protection Services, Steven Erasmus, said a report will be compiled and the necessary measurements put in place to increase security.

"Challenges at the site include the lack of fencing, which makes it difficult to control access, but it is currently not a viable solution," he said.

He is however considering increased joint operations with law enforcement, anti-land invasion and police.

The security officers will also be upgraded as the current staff are responsible for access control only and not trained to deal with violent interactions.

The attack

According to the victim, who asked that her name be withheld, she and her gardener were at the dump to drop off the scrap metal when 11 men surrounded her vehicle and started taking items from the back. She said she saw them loading these items into a municipal vehicle.

"My gardener got out to tell them that we didn't need their help. They became angry and started attacking him with sticks. One of the men lashed out at him with a panga, but luckily he shoved the bakkie's door in the way and the panga struck the bakkie," she said.

The attackers started hitting the bakkie with sticks and pelted it with stones and bricks. "All the time," said the victim, "the security guards just stood there laughing."

One of the men tried to force open her door, but luckily it was locked.

"I turned the bakkie around as quickly as I could. I knew we had to get out of there."

At this point the gardener managed to get back into the vehicle and they escaped.

The entrance to the municipal dump on the R102.

Later she was told by her gardener, who speaks the same language as the attackers, that one of the attackers said he "did not care about anything, he just wanted the woman". Some of the attackers spoke an African language, unknown to the victim.

Fleeing the site, they stopped at a roadblock near the showgrounds where she informed officers of the incident. The traffic officers immediately reported it to the police who were on the scene within minutes.

Five arrested
Southern Cape police spokesperson Sergeant Chris Spies confirmed that five suspects aged between 31 and 42 were arrested in connection with the attack. They appeared in court on 24 February on charges of theft and assault. The case was postponed until 12 March for their bail application.