By Andiswa Zondi
Some street criminals in Durban fake disabilities in order to attack students who stay in the residence on St George’s Street. Recently. Five students reported being mugged by a man seated on a wheelchair and his friend.
“They got to me I started to walk fast hoping they wouldn’t catch up, until they did. they just pulled a knife and demanded my purse while the other reached out for my plastic bag. I had no choice but to give it to them and they ran off,” said third year Durban University of Technology (DUT) student, Luyanda Ntuli.
The residence houses DUT students, but they complain of drug dealers, prostitutes, taverns and criminals that fill up the street throughout the day and night. ““This place has never been completely safe,” Ntuli continued.
Those in the area say they never thought the people in wheelchairs not too far from their residence could be criminals.
“There is absolutely no way you would think you will be robbed by someone in a wheelchair. Today, I don’t have a phone because they took it last week when I was walking to campus around 2:00 PM,” says Zanele Makhoba who is also a DUT student.
Students say that they’ve reported the incident to building management, but have received no help. They say that they’ve created online chatgroups to warn each other to the men in wheelchairs be seen outside their residence.
We reached out to the police for comment but hadn’t received a response before publication.
