Three CoCT employees robbed in Macassar

Western Cape police are yet to arrest suspects after they robbed three City of Cape Town employees on Saturday.

The trio were robbed of their cell phones and money. They also got away with vehicles. The police’s Wesley Twigg said Macassar police are probing a case of armed robbery.

"According to reports, armed suspects approached the workers [at around 13:05 on Macassar Road, Macassar], robbed them of their cellular telephones and a VW Citi Golf and fled the scene. The suspects are yet to be arrested," said Sergeant Wesley Twigg.

According to ward councillor, Peter Helfrich, the three employees, employed by a City of Cape Town contractor was is in the process of constructing a 400mm diameter pipeline to link the treatment effluent network between Zandvliet Waste Water Treatment Works plant with the Macassar Waste Water Treatment Works plant, were attacked by 10 armed men.

‘’According to one of the victims, who asked not to be identified for fear of reprisal, 10 armed men stopped at the site where they were working with a white 1400 Nissan bakkie and forced them to the ground. The victim confirmed that all of the men were armed and aggressively explained to them, if they do not cooperate, they will be shot,’’ said Helfrich.

‘’The victim says what scared him most was the fact that one of the criminals held the firearm against his head throughout the ordeal. All he was thinking of at the time was his family,’’ he added.

PICTURE: Facebook: Peter Helfrich, Ward 109 councillor

The three workers were robbed of their cell phones and money. They also took the keys to one of the employees car. Five of the gunmen, explains Helfrich, then took off in his blue Citi Golf that was parked on the opposite side of the road, and the rest with the bakkie they arrived with.

Helfrich says he arrived on the scene minutes after the incident happened.

“I was making my way to residents that were affected by the flooding in the area, to hand over some much-needed supplies, when I came across the scene. One of the victims informed me that my arrival was just minutes after the incident occurred. After speaking to the victim, and listening to the ordeal that they went through, I felt very sorry for them.’’

The ward councillor blamed SAPS for failing to increase visibility in the area, after bodies were recently found dumped on Macassar Road.

“SAPS management in the province promised more visibility in the area, and particularly this road, after three bodies were recently found on this road. I am ticked off and outraged because this has not happened,’’ said Peter Helfrich, ward 109 councillor.

“We have a lot of respect for our local police officers. It is unacceptable for SAPS management to expect our local police officers to manage a large ward like Ward 109 with almost no resources. It’s not fair to these officers and it is definitely not fair to the residents they are obligated to protect,’’ he added.

Helfrich alleges that the gunmen are not from Macassar.

“Once again criminals who do not reside in our ward come into our ward to do their criminal activities. These criminals know that our local Macassar police station is under-resourced and undermanned and they take advantage of this.”

Felicity Solomons, Community Leader, says residents deemed Macassar Road, as ‘the road of doom.’

“Residents are calling this road the road of doom because of all of the crime taking place on this road. Our councillor, Peter Helfrich, has been calling for SAPS to increase its visibility on this road. It clearly has not happened, even after they promised to do so.’’

 

Done By: Mitchum George