According to SAPS statistics, bold crime in Grahamstown is on the rise. Yet when we hear of crime these days we barley blink an eye and taking precautions is a routine part of our everyday lives. Its only when the precautions we take seem inadequate, that we begin to fearfully blink at the thought of our vulnerability. It seems crime is not only on the rise but also the fearlessness of Grahamstown’s felons. Daylight is as good a time as any. Earlier this year two people were stabbed to death at midday in a local suburb, cars and houses are broken into in broad daylight, even when residents are home. Thieves are not only carrying weapons but also bolt cutters to ensure a successful break-in. Hi-Tech security is usually first on the scene with the police trailing behind. It seems locals are realising that their sense of security is a false one.
Grocott’s Mail reporter, Luvuyo Mjekula has been reporting on crime in Grahamstown for years, and agrees that crime is certainly taking on a more brazen nature, “Crime is getting bolder, more out in the open for anyone to see.” Mjekula recently reported on an armed robbery at Noluthando Hall in Joza, where pensioners were held at gunpoint and robbed of all their money. Students have also felt the effects of these more major crimes happening in the Grahamstown area. We spoke to two students who have recently had first hand experience of the increasingly violent and arrogant nature of these crimes.
Megan DeWaal a third year BSc student, woke up to find three intruders in her digs on Parry Street. What shocked DeWaal most was the chillingly cool and methodical way in which the thieves went about their business… [podcast]http://rutv3.ru.ac.za/wp-content/uploads/sequence-03.mp3 [/podcast]
Martin Ross, another student at Rhodes, was one of the victims of the recent spike in car break-ins this month. His car was broken into on Milner street between the relatively busy hours of five and eight o’clock in the morning. Surprisingly it wasn’t just his radio that was stolen…. [podcast]http://rutv3.ru.ac.za/wp-content/uploads/crime-bite_1.mp3[/podcast]
Despite these grave indicators about crime in Grahamstown, there are people in the community who are making a difference. Siyanda Antoni is one such person. After he was released from prison he decided to turn his life around, get an education and share his negative experiences of crime. In partnership with the Ministry of Education, Siyanda is part of a peer education programme where he is used as a motivational speaker at high schools within the Makana Municipality to warn the pupils of the pitfalls of crime and the harrowing experiences of prison…
Elicia or “Superwoman” as she is affectionately known by her community has taken matters into her own hands. Her community in the township has expressed a complete disillusionment with the police response in their area.
Although bold crime may be on the rise, statistics show that the number of major crimes in Grahamstown have neither risen nor dropped since the figures released in 2002.
