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Surrey Estate Crime Soars
· 21 Jun 2012
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As the community of Surrey Estate go up in arms over the recent spate of robberies in their midst, three men were sentenced to life in prison for murder in the Western Cape High Court on Wednesday, after a robbery in the same community. Yusuf Cupido, 45, Manfred Links, 40, and John Maggot, 40, were convicted of killing a shop owner in March last year, Lt-Col Andrè Traut said. The men, from Manenberg in Cape Town, were found guilty on June 13.
"Besides the life sentence, Cupido and Links were each also sentenced to one year imprisonment for pointing of a firearm and six years for the possession of an illegal firearm," he said. The owner was found dead on his shop floor in Surrey Estate on March 14 2011, after police were notified of the shooting. Cupido, Links and Maggot were arrested a few weeks later.
Meanwhile, in the last few weeks, residents say
five more shops have been robbed and two stores were held up at gun point,
spreading panic in the neighbourhood. Residents are pointing fingers at people
who walk through the community from the surrounding areas, claiming they were
the criminal element.
One shopkeeper, who spoke to VOC News on condition of anonymity, reported that
his store was targeted by foreign nationals on 24 May.
He said three men entered the store while another waited outside as the look out. “They came in, held the gun to my head and demanded money. All I could think about was my life and my co-workers," he related. He added that he could see the faces of two of the robbers but does not remember them clearly as he was in shock at the time of the incident.
Crime rate
"I was waiting for them to shoot me in my head.” This is the first time the shop has been held up by gun point. However, there have been incidents where people randomly take things and run off. “I am concerned that the level of crime in our area will increase and become more violent,” said the shop owner. He would like to see more police patrolling in the community during all hours of the day as this would keep the level of crime in the area at bay.
Another shop keeper said it was not only stores and businesses in the community that are being targeted by criminals but crime in general had spiked. "I have lived and worked here for many years and I do not want to see our community living in fear…something must be done," he urged. A recent armed robbery left two shop assistants in shock as they could not believe that the well dressed men entering their store would turn their guns on them and demand money. One of the store’s workers said it was very traumatizing to be in a situation where a gun is held up against your head.
“When I saw the man enter the shop I did not suspect anything. He then placed his finger on his lips telling me too keep quiet. I could not make out what he was trying to tell me and that is when he took out his weapon and placed it against my head.” The young man holding the gun against the shop assistant’s head told her to give him all the money that they have in the store. She did exactly what she was told and the robbers managed to take a few items from the shelves before they fled.
“Everything happened in less than four minutes…so quickly. I feared for my life and for the customer in the store at the time. We are lucky that they did not harm us,” she added. The other cashier that was in the store during the robbery said this type of crime is happening too often and will increase if people in the community do not take action. “We cannot rely on the police and the neighborhood watch alone.”
Increase
Community leader Sheik Irfaan Abrahams said crime has seen a sharp increase in various suburbs on the Cape Flats. He added that the Surrey Estate Neighborhood Watch was doing a good job ensuring that the community are safe. “We need to work together as a community to keep criminals out of our area. We are a very close knit community and we look out for one another. We need to continue doing so for the safety of all,” he said.
The Surrey Estate Neighbourhood watch are urging the community to be extra cautious and aware of their surroundings and to report anyone who looks suspicious. Businesspeople and shop owners are especially asked to ensure that their businesses are secure at all times of the day. Abrahams appealed to residents to be vigilant of their surroundings and when they see something out of the ordinary, to immediately contact the neighbourhood watch and or inform the police.
During Jumuah times, business owners are urged to keep their doors closed and not allow anyone in their shops or businesses. “This is the perfect time for criminals to be active when men close up their stores and head to mosque. They have to be extra alert. Everyone should have the neighbourhood watch contact number on their phones in case they need to call in urgently.”
Abrahams’ advice to all communities is to rally around their religious leaders, churches or community institutions and to work hand in hand with the local neighbourhood watch and police to curb the high crime rate. VOC (Astrid Februarie)