GPSA Weekly Views

The season is here for affirmative banking. Some 20 (yes twenty) cash in transit heists in one week! Mostly successful and mostly executed with military precision. Now we know why banking is so expensive in this country.

And in the meantime, our shopping malls have become prime targets for affirmative shopping. Herewith a newsletter from e-blockwatch:

Johannesburg - Police Commissioner Jackie Selebi says he will not turn police officers into shopping mall guards. He has urged mall owners to secure their properties against armed robbers. Selebi made the comments in an exclusive interview with City Press, during which he described as absurd any expectations that the police would guard malls.

For the past few months, heavily armed robbers have targeted malls in Gauteng. In one of the latest attacks, robbers exchanged fire with police officials, killing one officer in Rosebank on Friday. Using AK-47 and R-5 rifles, a gang also struck in Fourways, shooting at a man at an ATM.

Selebi said police officials should not guard malls. "It's absurd for anybody to think that the police are going to police malls," he said. "Since when should police guard malls? "What about the fish-and-chips shop at a corner?. "Must I have a police officer to guard that fish-and-chips shop?" Mall owners should organise security for themselves, he said. "Naturally, when we find that a crime has been committed, we will deal with it but it is not the responsibility of the police to guard malls."

Heists

Selebi said cash-in-transit heists were a seasonal phenomenon, which the police would overcome. At least five cash-in-transit heists were reported in just two weeks in Johannesburg. He said police have busted 78 heists bosses (54 in Johannesburg last week and 24 in Cape Town the week before) linked to a number of cash-in-transit heists. A plan was being worked out with the private security companies and their clients to overcome the heists. He seemed to suggest that some of them were due to "inside-job" by those who work in the cash-in-transit industry.

"We have got to be looking at how much of information is leaked to those who want to commit those crimes. How do they know where this has to happen? "That work is being done to deal with this. We will overcome it. It's a seasonal thing. Our plan should be such that we should be able to prevent it from going on. "Unfortunately, in certain instances, our information was not good enough to know where they were going to strike . . ."

Rape

Selebi has also lashed out at "unscientific" claims that SA was a "rape capital" of the world, saying those who made such remarks have a "spiritual knowledge of the world". A women's rights organisation, Gender Links, was last week quoted using a similar description of SA.

Selebi said rape was a bad thing, and remained high, but such descriptions were an exaggeration. "The people who are saying that have never been to any other capital, except Cape Town or Pretoria," he said. ". . . rape must be dealt with, but is not a matter that should be dealt with solely by the police, but the whole community - the support systems in families, civil society groups".

In the majority of cases, Selebi said police would come after it had happened "because nobody makes an appointment with us to say they would do it". "It happens in houses, it happens among people who know each other. We are not posted in every bedroom in the country."

The latest annual crime statistics show that priority crimes such as murder and robbery have decreased by 4.6% and 5.3% respectively. However, rape has increased by 4% to 55 114 reported cases for the 2004/05 financial year period. This was a reversal of a downward trend of 4.1% recorded during 2003/4.

Kind Regards
The eblockwatch team

We hear stories at times that make you think that if you only had the guts you would've like to do this yourself. First there was the guy who released some snakes in a bank because he felt mistreated by the bank. If I remember correctly the bank repossessed his vehicle after failing to pay the installments. He was charged and landed in court. What the outcome was I can't remember, but I'm sure those bank employees won't forget that little episode soon.

This past week a man held a woman from Home Affairs ransom with a toy gun. The supervisor, one Lanelle Small was told to phone a local radio station after which the police were informed. The reason for all this was that one Thibedi applied for an ID book in 2003. Typical Home Affairs, there was a mistake in it after which he applied for a new ID. This did not materialise and eventually he got "gatvol". He said to the DJ at YFM that "these people, they have bad manners, they don't treat us well here.", which sums things up perfectly at Home Affairs.

Considering that not much can be done without an ID document, it's no wonder this youngster got fed-up. The amazing part of this story is that he got his ID. "These people.. are corrupt: they give our IDs to foreigners and then they are rude to us." sums it up once again. So much for Mbekis improved services at government departments! Now who wouldn't like to have their ID book flown in by helicopter from Pretoria.

The biggest news so far though has been the 16 days awareness campaign to end violence against women and children. We all know that it's an inherent problem across the board. But with this we've seen the HIV/Aids issue being raised to a much higher profile than ever before. Scary figures are thrown about with our Health Minister quoting the "previous regime" as being the main culprit for the rive infection rate and deaths. Get over it, you've been in power for more than 10 years. Don't blame your incompetence on something that is (by now) ancient history.

Productivity in the mining, transport and manufacturing sectors have been affected due to deaths and absenteeism. Two-thirds in the mining sector and half in manufacturing.

Until such time that Mbeki and his government stop their bickering about HIV/Aids, not much is going to change in this country. Stop sitting on the fence, declare what you believe and what you're doing about it, then go out and get it done!

Weekly View
	2 December 2005
The season is here for affirmative banking. Some 20 (yes twenty) cash in transit heists in one week! Mostly successful and mostly executed with military precision. Now we know why banking is so expensive in this country. And in the meantime, our shopping malls have become prime targets for affirmative shopping. Herewith a newsletter from e-blockwatch: Johannesburg - Police Commissioner Jackie Selebi says he will not turn police officers into shopping mall guards. He has urged mall owners to secure their properties against armed robbers. Selebi made the comments in an exclusive interview with City Press, during which he described as absurd any expectations that the police would guard malls. For the past few months, heavily armed robbers have targeted malls in Gauteng. In one of the latest attacks, robbers exchanged fire with police officials, killing one officer in Rosebank on Friday. Using AK-47 and R-5 rifles, a gang also struck in Fourways, shooting at a man at an ATM. Selebi said police officials should not guard malls. "It's absurd for anybody to think that the police are going to police malls," he said. "Since when should police guard malls? "What about the fish-and-chips shop at a corner?. "Must I have a police officer to guard that fish-and-chips shop?" Mall owners should organise security for themselves, he said. "Naturally, when we find that a crime has been committed, we will deal with it but it is not the responsibility of the police to guard malls." Heists Selebi said cash-in-transit heists were a seasonal phenomenon, which the police would overcome. At least five cash-in-transit heists were reported in just two weeks in Johannesburg. He said police have busted 78 heists bosses (54 in Johannesburg last week and 24 in Cape Town the week before) linked to a number of cash-in-transit heists. A plan was being worked out with the private security companies and their clients to overcome the heists. He seemed to suggest that some of them were due to "inside-job" by those who work in the cash-in-transit industry. "We have got to be looking at how much of information is leaked to those who want to commit those crimes. How do they know where this has to happen? "That work is being done to deal with this. We will overcome it. It's a seasonal thing. Our plan should be such that we should be able to prevent it from going on. "Unfortunately, in certain instances, our information was not good enough to know where they were going to strike . . ." Rape Selebi has also lashed out at "unscientific" claims that SA was a "rape capital" of the world, saying those who made such remarks have a "spiritual knowledge of the world". A women's rights organisation, Gender Links, was last week quoted using a similar description of SA. Selebi said rape was a bad thing, and remained high, but such descriptions were an exaggeration. "The people who are saying that have never been to any other capital, except Cape Town or Pretoria," he said. ". . . rape must be dealt with, but is not a matter that should be dealt with solely by the police, but the whole community - the support systems in families, civil society groups". In the majority of cases, Selebi said police would come after it had happened "because nobody makes an appointment with us to say they would do it". "It happens in houses, it happens among people who know each other. We are not posted in every bedroom in the country." The latest annual crime statistics show that priority crimes such as murder and robbery have decreased by 4.6% and 5.3% respectively. However, rape has increased by 4% to 55 114 reported cases for the 2004/05 financial year period. This was a reversal of a downward trend of 4.1% recorded during 2003/4. Kind Regards The eblockwatch team We hear stories at times that make you think that if you only had the guts you would've like to do this yourself. First there was the guy who released some snakes in a bank because he felt mistreated by the bank. If I remember correctly the bank repossessed his vehicle after failing to pay the installments. He was charged and landed in court. What the outcome was I can't remember, but I'm sure those bank employees won't forget that little episode soon. This past week a man held a woman from Home Affairs ransom with a toy gun. The supervisor, one Lanelle Small was told to phone a local radio station after which the police were informed. The reason for all this was that one Thibedi applied for an ID book in 2003. Typical Home Affairs, there was a mistake in it after which he applied for a new ID. This did not materialise and eventually he got "gatvol". He said to the DJ at YFM that "these people, they have bad manners, they don't treat us well here.", which sums things up perfectly at Home Affairs. Considering that not much can be done without an ID document, it's no wonder this youngster got fed-up. The amazing part of this story is that he got his ID. "These people.. are corrupt: they give our IDs to foreigners and then they are rude to us." sums it up once again. So much for Mbekis improved services at government departments! Now who wouldn't like to have their ID book flown in by helicopter from Pretoria. The biggest news so far though has been the 16 days awareness campaign to end violence against women and children. We all know that it's an inherent problem across the board. But with this we've seen the HIV/Aids issue being raised to a much higher profile than ever before. Scary figures are thrown about with our Health Minister quoting the "previous regime" as being the main culprit for the rive infection rate and deaths. Get over it, you've been in power for more than 10 years. Don't blame your incompetence on something that is (by now) ancient history. Productivity in the mining, transport and manufacturing sectors have been affected due to deaths and absenteeism. Two-thirds in the mining sector and half in manufacturing. Until such time that Mbeki and his government stop their bickering about HIV/Aids, not much is going to change in this country. Stop sitting on the fence, declare what you believe and what you're doing about it, then go out and get it done!	Past Views Current Joke Past jokes Gallery Links Current Exchange Rate Daily News Headlines Articles
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