| Submit your comments on this article |
| -Lurid Crime Tales- |
| Cape Hospital vandals caught in the act |
| 2015-07-04 |
| [IoL] Cape Town - Vandals and looters have taken advantage of lax security at the site of the abandoned GF Jooste Hospital between Manenberg and Gugulethu. The Western Cape Department of Health closed down the hospital last year because it was due for major renovations. The then-health MEC Theuns Botha said the reconstruction would cost roughly R785 million. In 2010, the hospital received a R2m donation from the Oasis Crescent Fund Trust for the upgrade of its emergency ward. Roughly $200k USD from the OCFT. Appears they might have been a bit hesitant, and rightly so. Now, all that remains of the building are smashed windows, wrecked walls and demolished ceilings. The Cape Argus visited the hospital on Wednesday and discovered that the building had been looted for scrap. It's alleged the looters made off with their gains in broad daylight and were not stopped by private All 4 Security Solutions guards stationed at the site. Pastor Lewellyn Adams, of the Manenberg community police forum, led the Cape Argus through the gutted medical institution that once served more than 1.6 million patients. Adams said: "A month ago we saw these people running around with window frames and scrap metal. "We did not know where they got it from. Then we realised they were stealing it from the hospital. Next, they will be breaking down bricks so that there would be nothing left here." Inside the building, water covered the floors. Remnants of aerolite, rhinoboard, chipwood and waste were strewn from pillar to post. Armed with a sledge hammer and a duffel bag, two vandals proceeded to free an aluminium window frame from the wall in full view of the Cape Argus team. One of the vandals told the Cape Argus he chose to steal from the hospital because the security guards were "bad at their jobs and did nothing to stop him". "They said that we could break down at the back as long as they could break down at the front of the building. If we give them dagga or beers -- then it's alright. I blame the security, they are supposed to secure the place, right?" “Die government gee nie vir ons werk nie, so, ons steel nie, ons het net gevat wat ons wil hê.” (The gov't gives us no work, we don't steal, we are smart to take what we wish). Link .......Meanwhile back in Baltimore, MD: “Let them loot, it’s only property,” ~ Mayor Rawlings-Blake. |
| Posted by:Besoeker |