Durban - Crime experts have warned the public to be vigilant when they are out at KwaZulu-Natal shopping malls after incidents in recent weeks, including a shooting in Richards Bay yesterday in which five people were killed.
City of uMhlathuze mayor Xolani Ngwezi said in the incident gunmen opened fire, fatally wounding five people in a shopping centre parking lot.
Provincial police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda said the information at police’s disposal indicated that four suspects alighted from a vehicle and opened fire on the victims.
“Four victims were certified dead at the scene, while the fifth succumbed to gunshot injuries at a local clinic. The suspects reportedly fled from the scene in a blue VW Polo.
The motive of the shooting has not been established, although a drug-related turf war could not be ruled out,” he said.
The mayor said the shooting came as the city was busy with a safer city crime prevention strategy.
“The police are putting in a lot of effort in this area of uMhlathuze to arrest these incidents or situations. For the past six to eight months we have not had incidents of this nature and I believe that it is because of the efforts of the police,” said the mayor.
Ngwezi offered his condolences to the families of the deceased.
In an incident last week, a robbery took place at a mall in Greytown and three suspects were arrested.
Speaking on robberies, Gareth Newham, head of the Justice and Violence Prevention Programme at the Institute for Security Studies, said non-residential business robberies had increased substantially in the past decade.
“In 2012 there were about 1 900 robberies of this nature reported to police and as of last year there were more than 3 400 robberies reported to police. That is a 72% increase in 10 years.”
Newham added that perpetrators of these crimes started off with street robberies and moved to bigger targets.
“These crimes are networked because they have to sell the items they stole from shopping malls. With the right crime intelligence, robberies should be managed by police.”
Chad Thomas, organised and financial crime investigator from IRS Forensic Investigations, said as the festive season approaches, crime would go up.
“International studies have shown that crimes such as robbery can increase by up to 20% during the last part of the year. People have to be extra vigilant towards year-end and the carrying of large amounts of money is discouraged.”
Professor Nirmala Gopal, of the Criminology and Forensic Studies department at the University of KwaZuluNatal, said business robberies had been on the rise in malls around Durban.
She added that shopping malls were bustling with activity, making it challenging to ensure the safety of shoppers and staff.
“Criminals often target shopping malls due to the ease of access and the possibility of quickly selling the stolen merchandise. To counter this, mall management can work with retailers to identify high-risk items and take appropriate steps to secure them. Additionally, staff training programmes can help employees recognise suspicious behaviour and respond effectively.”