This report from Steff Schenk – This afternoon (29 March) around 16h30, a member of the community called me, a young man had come out of the Baakens Valley in Gazania Avenue, Sunridge Park, pleading for help.
3 young men had been riding their mountain bikes in the valley when 2 of them were surprised by 2 Black men, one wielding a panga. They were relieved of their Mountain Bikes, shoes and cell phones but not injured. The victims were able to flee on foot.
Thanks to a rapid response by various members of the community, our local Neighbourhood watches from Sunridge Park and Fernglen , Atlas, Inspector Wayne van Huyssteen and the SAPS, the whole valley area was rapidly cordoned off.
The police sent in their helicopter to help.
The SAPS dog squad found and arrested 1 suspect, we are not certain if it was one of the attackers.
No bikes have been recovered yet.
While this is an isolated incident in our section of the Valley, it should serve as a warning to all. We can never afford to let down our guard.
A big thank you to all that responded, the safety of our community is dependant on those that give freely of their time and resources to make it a safer place for all.
Editors Notes: Maybe not so isolated Steff – see: Third Time Lucky for a number of incidents that have taken place further down the Baakens River Valley. It seems as though the criminals are ‘reclaiming’ the valley on the back of the cash CRISIS necessitating the removal of security guards.
Alan Straton
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The Baakens Valley should be cleaned out and patrolled on a regular basis. A lot of money gets waisted on other things in this city so we know there is money. Perhaps somebody should start a Valley Watch on the same lines as a neighbourhood watch.
you should also mention the emergancy landing the police chopper made …… 😉
But money always exists for konserte, ancestors parties and BMW’s.
And of course a massive jazz junket to Cape Town (TWICE) to consider something similar for PE.
Doesn’t it make you feel a leetle sad that in the absence of promoters rushing to PE to make money by financing and presenting artists themselves our municipality has to ‘subsidise’ promoters to bring artists to PE?
Seems to me like we have created a culture of subsidisation and killed the good old capitalistic market forces.