THE Chatsworth Community Policing Forum (CPF) is urging the eThekwini Municipality to fix the street lights on the Higginson Highway following more than 10 incidents of rock throwing and boulders being placed on the highway, in the last month.
The latest victim, Mikhael Sankar, 27, a paramedic at Amawele Emergency Services, was on the highway near the Westcliff off-ramp when a boulder was thrown at him on Thursday night.
“I just saw two men and they suddenly threw a boulder at me. The boulder hit the front left tyre and I veered off the road and hit a tree. The car then went down an embankment. As soon as I hit the tree, I went onto WhatsApp and sent a voicenote to a crime group calling for help. Before I knew it, a gang of about 15 men rushed towards me.
“They slapped me and assaulted me with a gun. They told me to shut up and stay put. While they assaulted me, I fell face first on the ground and I felt like I was passing out. As I lost consciousness, I saw them ransack my vehicle. I also heard gunshots.”
Sankar said he was robbed of all his belongings, including his bank card, cellphone and some parts of his vehicle, which was in the process of being stripped when the emergency responders arrived.
“The robbers had opened fire on the responders. But they still came to my assistance. I woke up in the back of the ambulance. I thank God I am still alive.
“This incident has taken a toll on my mental health. I could have lost my life in a split second. I thank God I am still alive. We need more police presence on the highway. I dread to think if a female suffers a similar fate,” he added.
Sankar said his quick thinking to send the message for help had saved his life.
“If I had not sent the message on social media, my vehicle would have been completely stripped and I could have been killed. This is a regular occurrence. What are the police doing about it? Are they waiting for lives to be lost before they take action? The lighting needs to be fixed urgently and patrol stepped up,” said Sankar.
Claude Subramodey, spokesperson for Amawele Emergency Services, said the suspects had opened fire on them to deter them from providing assistance.
“We called for backup and because we went in numbers, it drove them away. We are thankful that there were no fatalities or injuries due to the gunfire,” he said.
Yugen Pillay, chairperson of the Chatsworth CPF, said they were engaging with crime intelligence officers to try to track the gang.
“We have also increased patrols by CPF members, security companies, metro police and SAPS, but this is only when the resources are available. CPF members monitor the highway but the problem is they can see us before we can see them. We are engaging with leaders in the nearby informal settlements to try to track the gang.
“We have also arranged with the SAPS Dog Unit to patrol so we can catch these men by tracking them with the tracker dogs. The hotspot areas for this type of crime is between Moorton and Westcliff and Mobeni Heights. The problem is escalating largely because there is no lighting along the entire highway. This problem has been going on for years and our calls for lights have fallen on deaf ears.
“The highway has been stripped of the cabling for the lights and the municipality cannot keep saying that the issue is because of vandalism and theft. They need to install the cabling and ensure that the lights work for the safety of all road users. Authorities need to clampdown on scrap yards who buy these lights and cabling. Due to them accepting the stolen goods, there is a demand and there will always be theft,” he added.
Pillay advises the community to be extra vigilant when using the highway.
“Know your speed when driving so you can avoid these boulders. If you do hit a rock… don't stop. Rather drive to a safe place. We encourage the public to report all cases to the police,” he added.