Johannesburg - Flowers lie on the banks of the dam at Rhodes Park in Kensington but *Tshepo and his wife *Tshidi think nothing of the blossoms on the ground during their afternoon stroll at the park on Thursday.
What they don’t know is that the flowers are a memorial – sad salutes and goodbyes for the victims of the horrific crime that took place less than a week ago that left two men dead and their partners attacked and one raped.
They continue walking and Tshepo plants a kiss on Tshidi’s cheek as they walk hand in hand to a park bench. All around them birds are chirping in the trees – it’s a peaceful environment for their love and Tshepo pulls out a digital tablet to take pictures as Tshidi poses for her husband.
When Tshepo is happy he’s captured the shots, the couple walk back to the parking area.
It’s at this point the Saturday Star team meets the couple. It’s only through this interaction the couple learn about the gruesome attack by a gang of 12 men who accosted two couples taking a sunset stroll – much like Tshepo and Tshidi were doing – a week ago, holding them up, tying the men up and throwing them into the dam. Both men drowned and one of the women was raped.
Tshepo and Tshidi are in shock. They didn’t know and Tshidi works a few streets away from the park, she says.
”We’ve been here for more than three hours… we thought we were safe when we saw security guards patrolling. Metro cops were here, too. It’s distressing when terrible things happen to innocent people,” Tshepo says. They vow never to return to the park.
There is a security presence now. Mabotwane Security guards do vehicle patrols in the park. There’s also a private security company’s vehicle that uses the Orlando Street parking as a base.
The Mabotwane guards, contracted to City Parks, say that since Monday they’ve been instructed to step up patrols in the park. Some of the entrances remain locked now.
The private security guard confirms the park is a getaway path for criminals who target nearby homes. “When we respond to house robberies, which are very common around the streets surrounding the park, criminals run into the park. They escape into the sewerage system until they reach Albertina Sisulu Road,” he says, preferring not to give his name.
Residents living around the park say they fear for their lives. “If you are not home by 6pm your life is in danger. My husband was once robbed in the park while making his way home,” says a woman living in Orlando Street.
Another Orlando Street resident says her house was broken into twice. “The first time they managed to steal some stuff. Luckily, the second time we were home and managed to call the police but the criminals fled.”
A mother, who lives opposite the park in Cumberland Road, says the killings last Saturday have left her traumatised. “How are we going to take our children swimming at the park if there are such incidents?” she asks. Even with the recent attack, pupils from local schools, including Jeppe High School for Boys, Kensington High School and Sir Edmund Hillary Primary, use the park as a short cut to school.
Mark Nel, a tow-truck driver who uses the Rhodes Park parking area as a base, says he’s shocked that parents allow their kids to use the park. “An 8-year-old boy just walked past heading into the park. It is disturbing that parents are still ignorant after the killings. This place is no longer safe,” Nel says.
Police confirmed that no arrests have been made.
Security at park has been beefed up
Security has been stepped up with a plan for enhanced visible policing in Rhodes Park, following the killings and rape that took place there a week ago, according to Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo spokeswoman Jenny Moodley.
“Private security officers have been deployed, broken gates (fixed) and palisade panels that were stolen… replaced,” she said.
City Parks had decided to close four of the seven gates to the park to manage access control. All gates will be locked at 6pm every day.
“Additional by-law signs indicating the park hours have been placed at the three main entrances. Wireless spotlights will also be installed.
“(The department) has received a proposal to secure the park at no cost. More important, a dedicated meeting will be held every Wednesday to share statistics and reports on arrests and contraventions for the parks in the area, which will enable more proactive policing.”
The police presence would be stepped up, particularly at weekends and month-ends and in the late afternoons.
*Not their real names
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