The provincial government is engaging with the business sector as robberies and extortions are on the rise this festive season. At the same time home invasions have spiked, recording more than 5 000 cases – with a 48% rise over the past year.
Police have confirmed the increase in robberies of courier and delivery vehicles.
The SA Insurance Crime Bureau reported an alarming increase of 261 cases in residential robberies from 2022 to 2023, bringing the total number of cases where criminals come face to face with their victims to 5 631.
CCID Safety & Security said they have strategically deployed security guards to monitor crime hotspots and will maintain visible policing on all the streets of the CBD in its footprint over the busy festive period.
Intelligence and tactical teams told Weekend Argus that these robberies are operated by a syndication of young men.
The SAPS have arrested several robbers who are behind business attacks in recent weeks – the most successful was that of 14 suspects on December 14, believed to be behind a financial syndicate of R40 million.
They face charges of fraud, theft and money laundering. The alarm was raised by local financial institutions.
The syndicate’s modus operandi would be to create and submit false vehicle finance applications to motor dealerships with whom they had a corrupt relationship.
Three business robbers were also arrested in Vredenburg. They threatened staff and shots were fired between a security company and the suspects.
During a third incident, two suspects were arrested and one shot and killed during a robbery in Manenberg earlier this month. At another scene, police detained a suspect caught using fraudulent bank cards in the Blackheath Industrial Area.
Western Cape Police Oversight and Community Safety MEC, Reagen Allen, said they were aware of the spike in business crimes and appealed to everyone to be vigilant. “The recent spate of business robberies are deeply alarming,” said Allen. “Criminals are directly targeting businesses, as they regard it as easy prey.
“The provincial government have actively engaged Business Against Crime, the Cape Chamber of Commerce and various other entities to address extortion, burglaries and related crimes.
“These crimes have a devastating effect on businesses, job creation and people’s livelihoods.
“I urge businesses to safeguard themselves and to work closely with all law enforcement agencies, including the SAPS, so that these crimes can be prevented."
Police spokesperson, Colonel Andre Traut, also confirmed the increase in robberies and called on all sectors of business to be vigilant. “The SAPS in the Western Cape in line with the Safer Festive Season Operational Plan would like all inhabitants, shoppers and holiday makers to remain vigilant at all times in the interest of their safety.
“Through SAPS crime analysis, a spike in robbery of courier and delivery vehicles has been observed.
“Interventions have been put in place, but a plea is made for courier and delivery companies to exercise caution when making deliveries.”
The small business (SME) sector is a major job creator in South Africa and contributes an estimated R1.5 trillion to the GDP, according to Charnel Hattingh, group head of communications and marketing at the Fidelity Services Group.
Business-related crimes continue unabated, she said. Keeping large amounts of cash on the premises is a definite risk for everyone working on the premises.
“We continue to see businesses being targeted during opening and closing times. To avoid being targeted, business owners need to get security in place which is linked to an armed response service.”
According to Auto & General claim statistics, there are two massive spikes in housebreakings each year – one in June and one in December, with the latter seeing a dramatic spike of 48%.
CCID Safety & Security manager Jurie Bruwer, said the CCID has strategically deployed its security guards to monitor crime hotspots and will maintain visible policing on all the streets of the CBD in its footprint over the busy festive period.
“The main petty crimes we see in town pertain to robbery and general theft, ATM fraud and other bank-card scams and theft out of motor vehicles,” he said
Brent Seaman, a Tactical officer who works at local malls and shopping centres across Cape Town said they had seen an increase in robberies.
“There have been business robberies and ATM robberies where syndicates are being operated,” he said.”
“They are also operating at the malls as car scammers, jamming devices.
“It must be noted that these syndicates are young men, particularly black males and coloured males.
“Common areas are Kuilsriver to Eerste River and Watergate in Mitchell’s Plain which are also hot spots.”
Colleague Venecia Valentine who was a victim of card cloning scam and was robbed of R2500 said her festive season began on a sad note and is warning people to be vigilant.
“On December 2, I was working and I noticed a transaction of R2500 went off on my bank account.
“I checked my bag if my card was with me and it showed that my card was being used in Philippi at a hardware store.
“I immediately went to the bank to see what happened. They showed me that there was a withdrawal. There is now a case being investigated. The money was returned on December 19, but how safe are we as clients?”