{"id":114350,"date":"2016-03-01T07:55:00","date_gmt":"2016-03-01T05:55:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/germistoncitynews.co.za\/114350\/ivor-road-companies-terrorisedorburglars-rule-in-ivor-road\/"},"modified":"2016-03-01T15:51:13","modified_gmt":"2016-03-01T13:51:13","slug":"ivor-road-companies-terrorisedorburglars-rule-in-ivor-road","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/germiston-city-news\/news-headlines\/2016\/03\/01\/ivor-road-companies-terrorisedorburglars-rule-in-ivor-road\/","title":{"rendered":"Burglars rule in Ivor Road"},"content":{"rendered":"

An occasional business robbery is reason enough for concern, but when burglaries become the weekly norm people are left desperate.<\/p>\n

This is the reality for the businesses in Ivor Road, in Industries West, and they have been battling to have something done about it since last year.<\/p>

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The criminals follow the same modus operandi in each of the incidents.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey approach the businesses from behind pull up our roofs and gain entry to the building,\u201d explained Paul da Silva, owner of just one of the street\u2019s companies.<\/p>

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Da Silva took GCN journalists down the street and through the surrounding areas to explain the full scope of what businesses are dealing with.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are two abandoned railway houses in which the criminals live,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey also use the houses to strip the copper wire they have stolen from the businesses; we have found evidence of this.\u201d<\/p>\n

During the GCN\u2019s walk through the area bundles of cables could be seen hidden in the long grass, while a pile of already burnt and stripped cables were found next to one of the abandoned houses.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe other aid criminals have is the long grass; they are able to hide in it.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe security company\u2019s personnel are too afraid to go looking for them in there,\u201d said da Silva.<\/p>\n

The companies claim that the Germiston SAPS and Prasa, to whom the ground behind the businesses and abandoned houses belong, have been willing to help them.<\/p>\n

WO Andr\u00e9 de Jager, spokesman for the Germiston SAPS responded to the businesses claims.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have spoken to Col Samson Matlala, the Vispol Commander,” he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe agreed that the crime in that short street is on the rise and recently visited the businesses in the street, as well as the abandoned houses.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll the small businesses dealing with scrap metals create an environment that makes crime easier.<\/p>\n

\u201cMatlala has since instructed Const Emmanuel Mokadi, the sector commander, to visit the business owners and form a business forum, so that crime and security concerns can be addressed and resolved.\u201d<\/p>\n

The GCN also contacted Prasa about the overgrown grass and the abandoned houses being used by criminals, but has received no comment from them.<\/p>\n