Shortly after lunchtime, between 14:30 and 15:30, their car was broken into and their wallets and cellphone were stolen. "We just want to warn people to be aware that even if you are parked close to the beach and think nobody would dare to steal in a busy area - you are mistaken" said Lehandra this week.
Eden District Municipality has confirmed that a CCTV camera has been installed through which they hope to halt crime.
After they parked, Lehandra and her husband checked and saw that their car alarm had been activated. They are now extremely puzzled and wondering whether a remote control interceptor was used.
The whole incident was thoroughly unpleasant as they have to go to the trouble of having Lehandra's ID and Dries's cellphone replaced. On Monday Lehandra returned to Victoria Bay with her father, Heindroe Lochner, to see if they could spot a discarded ID, but to no avail.
The Marais vowed never to return to Victoria Bay as they feel the bay to be thoroughly unwelcome.
"The December holidaymakers should be made aware that they are coming to a area that is not safe. The upcountry visitors want respite from crime, but will find our beach is not as relaxing as they think." The George Herald has been reporting on the rise in crime over weekends and in peak season and highlighted the need for urgent interventions for crowd control and crime prevention. Guesthouse owner Hennie Schoeman, of Hilltop Country Top, said crime will cause a drop in visitors as guests want to feel safe.
CCTV monitoring
Measures have been put into place by the Eden District Municipality who want to halt the activities of criminals. Celeste Domingo, district IDP coordinator of support services at Eden District Municipality, said on Tuesday, "Our most beautiful beach is attracting a criminal element and to put an end to this, Eden District Municipality has re-routed the CCTV camera footage to our Disaster Management Centre to ensure a 24-hour surveillance and monitoring of our Victoria Bay. The public is encouraged to alert and call our emergency response unit on 044 805 5071 to report any criminal activity witnessed in Victoria Bay."
Donation
After having read the reports about crime at the bay, Ludwig Botha, a regular visitor to Victoria Bay who owns Active Eye CCTV, approached Eden District Municipality to help solve the crime problem by sponsoring the supply and installation of CCTV equipment in conjunction with VCam Sekuriteit, a supplier of CCTV equipment. The businessmen said they want to ensure that Victoria Bay is made safe for all. "This is just a start - until a more extensive CCTV network can be brought in."
Victoria Bay resident Natie de Swart said this week he feels that the CCTV cameras should definitely prove to be invaluable in determining who the culprits are, and act as a deterrent. At the time of going to press it was not known whether the culprit could be identified on Saturday's footage.
Ludwig Botha (left), owner of Active Eye CCTV, and Hennie Barnard, acting resort manager at Victoria Bay, with one of the CCTV cameras in the background.
ARTICLE: PAULINE LOURENS, GEORGE HERALD JOURNALIST
'We bring you the latest George, Garden Route news'
