“I’m just glad we were able to help the lady‚ it’s never good to see someone crying.”
Those are the words of Cape Town Central City Improvement District (CCID) public safety officer Abongile Mavela who‚ along with law enforcement colleague Ridwaan Nero‚ helped put a brazen mugger behind bars.
The pair were rewarded for their courage and bravery after coming to the rescue of a traumatised Irish tourist whose gold necklace worth R10‚000 was snatched off her neck in the city’s CBD earlier in March.
They found the woman lying on the ground and gave chase. Despite the mugger’s best efforts to ditch the 18-carat gold chain‚ it was retrieved and returned to its owner.
“It was definitely a team effort and is because of the long relationship established over the years between us as law enforcement and the CCID’s Public Safety officers. We work well together and a have a passion for what we do‚” said Nero.
Officers hailed for stopping mugger in his tracks
“I’m just glad we were able to help the lady‚ it’s never good to see someone crying.”
Those are the words of Cape Town Central City Improvement District (CCID) public safety officer Abongile Mavela who‚ along with law enforcement colleague Ridwaan Nero‚ helped put a brazen mugger behind bars.
The pair were rewarded for their courage and bravery after coming to the rescue of a traumatised Irish tourist whose gold necklace worth R10‚000 was snatched off her neck in the city’s CBD earlier in March.
They found the woman lying on the ground and gave chase. Despite the mugger’s best efforts to ditch the 18-carat gold chain‚ it was retrieved and returned to its owner.
“It was definitely a team effort and is because of the long relationship established over the years between us as law enforcement and the CCID’s Public Safety officers. We work well together and a have a passion for what we do‚” said Nero.
Mavela‚ a CCID officer for the past three years‚ said: “My uniform says public safety and I see myself as an ambassador. I’m here to help in whatever way I can to make sure the public are safe in the CBD. While I’m happy to be recognised‚ I’m just glad we were able to help the lady‚ it’s never good to see someone crying‚” he said.
The officers were recognised for their efforts by Cape Town Tourism.
“For many years‚ negative perceptions of safety for tourists in Cape Town have remained one of the biggest challenges in attracting visitors. The quick actions of the City’s law enforcement and CCID public safety officers in apprehending the mugger‚ and returning the necklace to the tourist‚ allows us to address the safety and security perceptions head-on. We would like to thank every single protection officer out there for their continued commitment and sacrifices in making Cape Town a safe city for citizens and visitors alike‚” said Cape Town Tourism CEO Enver Duminy.