Johannesburg - The residents of Bedfordview are terrified. They desperately want Czech fugitive Radovan Krejcir out of their once-quiet suburb and for the violence associated with the underworld figure to end.
But even in their desperation, people are frightened, reluctant to jot down their names on a petition to get Krejcir out.
“People are scared. They don’t want to be seen as speaking out against such a dangerous man. Twelve people are dead already,” said DA councillor for Bedfordview Michele Clarke, who plans to table the petition in Parliament on behalf of the Bedfordview community.
Not only are residents afraid to walk in the streets, businesses and property prices are ailing because of the violence which has gripped the area.
Two weeks ago when Krejcir associate Veselin Laganin was shot dead at the Wedgewood Green complex, a retirement home, the Arbor Village held its annual Christmas fete – but no one came.
“The fete is the home’s biggest fundraiser and is always well attended. But not this year. People didn’t want to come out.”
Clarke said many of the families who live there are second and third generation.
“Many of the them live and work in the area. But now their suburb has been slated unfairly. Inevitably, house prices and demand will dwindle.”
Clockwork Properties’ Bedfordview manager Deon Tromp said the estate agency had definitely seen a drop in demand.
“Indeed we have noticed a drop following the string of murders that in the area. It’s difficult to determine whether there has been a drop in price of properties in the area but there has definitely been a drop in demand.”
Lew Geffen Sotheby’s Bedfordview estate agent Tania Sakota had seen a similar trend.
“I’ve seen a drop in demand for houses in the Bedfordview area in the last few months. People have become quite nervous after what has happened in the area. A drop in demand for homes in Bedfordview will inevitably lead to a drop in the price of properties,” she said.
But Ken Woollcott, an agent for Pam Golding Estates disagreed.
“We haven’t noticed a drop in house prices at all, or a drop in demand in the area. Radovan Krejcir has been staying in Bedfordview for some years now, yet we continue to sell homes here,” he said.
Earlier this week Bedfordview community policing forum chairwoman Marina Constas said she had written to police commissioner General Riah Phiyega to ask for feedback on Krejcir. But on Friday Phiyega’s spokesperson said he had heard about a letter from the CPF, but had not seen it.
Meanwhile, in an interview with Radio Prague in the Czech Republic, Czech ambassador to South Africa Blanka Fajkusová said the embassy had not seen the text of any petition but was aware of statements made by the DA.
“What we understood is that residents in Bedfordview are concerned about what they call the “Krejcir story”, which is harming the reputation of Bedfordview as an attractive and relatively safe place to live and work.
“We haven’t seen the actual text so we don’t know what’s in it or what the procedure would be,” Fajkusová said. - Saturday Star