Summer Greens crime spike

The Summer Greens Neighbourhood Watch and residents says crime is rising in the area, and they’ve had enough.

In the last two weeks, there have been three brazen robberies in Summer Greens, leaving one man in hospital.

Milnerton police spokeswoman, Captain Nopaya Madyibi, said three men, one carrying a gun, robbed a house shop in Ploughman’s Crescent on Sunday May 20.

“The suspects grabbed an undisclosed amount of money from the till and ran outside where they shot an unknown male victim who heard the commotion,” she said.

The men fled in a white Toyota Quantum.

On Thursday May 24, two men forced their way into an Emerald Way house at 1pm, robbing the owner at gunpoint of cash and cellphones.

Just hours later, at 10pm, five men with guns entered a home in Planter Green and robbed the occupants of cellphones and money.

The robbers in all three cases are still at large and police are investigating.

Summer Greens Neighbourhood Watch chairman, Reagan Croeser, said the spike in crime was alarming.

“The criminals are getting more and more brazen. We have noticed that in winter, these type of crimes take a spike. We are trying all we can to get people to be more vigilant and form street committees and block watches,” he said.

Sibongile Mtshali said Summer Greens had been a quiet neighbourhood when he moved in 10 years ago.

“I would be able to walk to the shop even if it was dark. But now, I’m afraid to send my 9-year-old to the shop in broad daylight,” he said.

Patience Hadebe and her family moved to Summer Greens five years ago after hearing good things about the area.

“We moved to South Africa from Zimbabwe and settled here. We had heard that Joe Slovo was a dangerous area to live in, but now I am afraid for my family’s wellbeing because of all the things I hear and see in this place,” she said.