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Sunday, January 06, 2008

Lest We Forget AULD Acquaintance - 2

Here is the second in the original online postings from the Year 2000 that rattled a few cages in Lonehill in the original days of our Lonehill Community Security Initiative... made me both popular and unpopular with a few at the time... wonder why... ;-)

Found on http://www.lonehillaction.co.za/campaignlaunchpage.htm

Are You DYING To Stay In Lonehill?

Lonehill residents ready to take action!

Online Internet security network takes off

Lonehill Village Terrorism!

An AK47 War Zone On Our Doorsteps

Click here for Lonehill Security Strategy Plan of Action! - 26/9/2000
Click here for Lonehill Tender Evaluation Document! - 22/8/2000
Click here for original Security ACTION Meeting notes! - 6/7/2000
Click here to join our Lonehill Residents Security ACTION email database - NOW! An active security communication network is vital email: (decommissioned)

Lonehill Security Headline News!

22 September: Van Klaveren Family HIT By Armed Thugs... Again!!! Not happy with taking the life of their husband and father... the Van Klaveren family were again tackled by 3 armed thugs in a silver BMW... just as they were pulling out of their driveway to go on a recuperative break at 5 a.m. this morning. Apparently a shot was attempted by the thugs... but their gun seemed to jam.

One wonders how this family feel about those Lonehill residents who can't see their way clear to participating in the TOTAL Security Plan for Lonehill. The quicker we all get our contributions in... the quicker we can provide a solution to these horrific events! It may well be you or your family next!

26 August: Huge Turnout At Lonehill Security Meeting Saturday 26th August saw the Lonehill Crawford College Hall JAM-PACKED with concerned Lonehill Residents in the BIGGEST show of community support ever!

The Lonehill Security Action Group explained their VISION to provide ALL Lonehill Residents with 24-Hour TOTAL Security Protection from evil criminal elements. They listed as their primary objectives -

...to establish VISIBLE proactive preventative policing in the Greater Lonehill area

...to LEVERAGE the Bulk-Buying Power of ALL Lonehill Residents to negotiate a SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION in the average residents monthly Security and Household Insurance costs

...to enhance the UPMARKET image and Value of Lonehill properties

In a stirring presentation Action Group members demonstrated conclusively that OVER 95% of Lonehill Residents believed that... -

1.) '... WE have a SERIOUS SECURITY PROBLEM in Lonehill!'
2.) '... our politicians are NOT protecting us!
3.) '... criminal elements are LAUGHING at us!'
4.) '... local security companies are NOT providing a solution!'
5.) '... those who are not part of the solution ARE PART OF THE PROBLEM!'

Statistics taken from the recent Lonehill Residents Survey showed that:

i) ... at least one in five Lonehill residents has been affected by crime in Lonehill
ii) ... 99% support a TOTAL Security Plan for Lonehill (also evidenced by a MASSIVE show of hands)
iii) ... 65% will invest R1500 for a Security Solution (another 22% from R500 to R1000 - total 77%) - before our guarantee!
iv) ... SIGNIFICANT reductions in the Current Average security and household insurance costs are likely!

With MOST residents stating that they were VERY UNHAPPY with Lonehill's current SECURITY PROBLEMS they were invited to become part of the solution! Each resident was asked to complete a Residents Survey Form and to submit an email address for regular contact. Lonehill Village UPDATE letters will be delivered to ALL residents on a regular basis. Volunteers are also needed as Street Leaders and for any special skills that can be put to use by the community when needed.

Each resident is asked to make an INNOVATIVE kick-start investment contribution of R1500 with a 100% Money-Back guarantee (maximum 12 months). A very astute and conservative Action Group Executive have committed to placing these contributions into an LRA Trust Fund Account (at zero-interest return to the contributor) for use as negotiating LEVERAGE with local Security and Household Insurance companies.

The idea is to show that Lonehill Residents are ready to put their money where their mouths are! These funds will only be released by the appointed Trustees for Lonehill Security expenditure purposes when a significant reduction of the average monthly Security and Household Insurance figure is considered attainable and deliverable.

The proposed target for release of these funds is a minimum average savings of R300 per month off the current average statistics. That it is, an average recovery of the R1500 kick-start investment within 5 months PLUS the benefits of A RADICALLY BETTER TOTAL SECURITY SOLUTION for all Lonehill residents.

The Lonehill Security Action Group have come up with a FANTASTIC SOLUTION for everyone to participate POSITIVELY without fear of wasting their money on frivolous projects. Just think, if they do not secure a minimum average reduction of R300 per month (off current average statistics) you will get back your original R1500. It is an INCREDIBLE DEAL for every Lonehill resident to become part of the solution!

Some have said that with such a SIMPLE SOLUTION proposal we have no choice in the matter.
We either gamble R1500 on a SERIOUS ATTEMPT to achieve PEACE OF MIND and SECURITY with concerned solution-seeking Residents - offering a 100% money-back guarantee if they don't achieve their aims.

Or... we gamble the same R1500 (by witholding it) on not being the ONE in FIVE Lonehill residents exposed to crime and the evil 'terrorist' criminal elements who will have no hesitation in shooting, maiming or killing you in your home or on the Lonehill streets if they get you - and that's their proven 'guarantee'!

The CHOICE is yours... it is either one or the other... there is NO INBETWEEN! You are part of the solution, or you are part of the problem!

Cheques should be made out to: Lonehill Residents Security Administration with your name and address clearly written on the back, and delivered to the Lonehill Veterinary Clinic front office desk, corner Lonehill Boulevard and Crestwood Drive. For further detail contact Trevor Nel - 705-2790 - 4 Etterby Close, Lonehill

22 August: Security Action Group Feedback meeting - August 26th Saturday 26th August will see an open feedback meeting presented to all residents at Crawford College - 10 a.m. The presentation will last for 45 minutes followed by 30 minutes question and answer time. Thereafter there will be an opportunity to complete the security questionnaire for those who have not yet done so.

22 August: Raw sewage spills into Lonehill Dam for 10 days It has taken 10 days to get the council sewage cleaners to look at the problem source above the bridle path at the Pineslopes border. When they finally arrived it was after 6 p.m. and then they could not get through the locked gate at the edge of the farm smallholding. So we still have raw sewage spilling into the dam... it is shocking... stay out of the water!

31 July: Hi-jacking on corner Mulbarton and Lonehill Boulevard Just a short note to inform the community that an employee of ours was hi-jacked at the corner of Mulbarton and Lonehill boulevard at +- 15h00 on 31 July 00. He had been the the First National Bank at North Gate and cashed a cheque and had taken a route turning right from William Nicole into Mulbarton. When he stopped at the top of Mulbarton Road waiting to turn right into Lonehill Boulevard, he was approached by two armed black men who demanded to be allowed into the vehicle. He was then ordered to drive back into 4 ways gardens area where he was told to get onto the boot of his car and driven around for about 3 hours and ended up in Soweto. He was unharmed but was robbed of his watch, money and other goods in the car. He suspects that he was followed from the bank and that these criminals may be operating in the area and their target is people who have cashed large sums of money. The two thugs could not speak english very well. Let's get more patolling in this area. Regards and be alert. Tony Henry

24 July: Seven Thugs Terrorise Beverley Grandparents Here's the BAD NEWS. Our neighbour's left their 4 year old son with their parents at the Rose Farm in Beverley (bordering the bridle path opposite Sandton Village House) on Sunday evening 23rd July. Ten minutes after leaving... men in 'police uniforms' knocked on their back door and talked there way in... SEVEN armed thugs held up and terrorised the Grandparents, held a knife to the throat of the boy and threatened to slit his throat if he didn't stop crying. It seems that the old folks did not resist and were lucky to come out of this unscathed... but mentally scarred.

I am told that some Lonehill residents don't want to see the crime around them. I see these 'strange people' as OSTRICHES with their heads in the sand! it is about time that we printed this type of email out and used it to kick them up the only target they present to us... their exposed BUTTS! How can anybody be so naive, and frankly... STUPID? Either we kick their butts... or they get an AK47 shoved up it!

Oh yes... there are now a good MANY of us in Lonehill who are POSITIVELY SERIOUS about reclaiming our 'little piece of Heaven' back from these terrorist thugs. The GOOD folk are busy 'fighting' back!

20 July: Lonehill Security Residents Survey - 22nd & 23rd July Key Area Cordinators and Street/Complex Leaders will be circulating Lonehill Resident Survey Questionnaires throughout Lonehill on Saturday 22nd and Sunday 23rd July. The purpose of the survey is to identify just how serious Lonehill residents really are about their security situation in their area. The objective of the survey is to get enough critical data to negotiate MUCH BETTER RATES and IMPROVED SECURITY for the ENTIRE village of Lonehill. MORE Street Leaders/Complex Leaders needed. Key contact persons for further details are: Tony Henry 082-5598-464 ; Craig Fraser 082 801 4095 ; Trevor Nel 705-2790

30 June: Springbok Bowler robbed in Lonehill by armed men S. Chronicle Crime Watch 30 June - Brazen gang robs Springbok bowler "Always expect the unexpected and don't have any shrubbery or bushes near gates behind which felons can hide!" This is the advice from Springbok bowler Cyril Lehana after he was held up while pressing a gate bell outside Martinique, a townhouse complex in Lonehill.

"I am very conscious of crime but while my attention was on the gate buttons, these two guys materialised. I told them not to shoot as I ahve two daughters and started to get out the car. One of them hit me over the head. Even when a car drove past they just stood casually as if chatting to me - no panic! They demanded guns (which I don't carry) and money, and made off with all my personal possessions, luckily just before a woman and child drove up to the gate. Like all law-abiding South Africans, I am just sick and tired of all this rubbish.

14 June: Squatter Camp settlement on Lonehill border! Roy Hamlyn reports: 'We became aware of a further threat to our security today. The establishment of a low cost/squatter settlement below Leukop prison on the Jukskei river - approx. 200 lc dwellings that has been allowed to slip through the consultation process undetected by design. This has serious implications for LH in that no infrastructure or employment opportunities exist.'

14 June: Lonehill Hardware shop ransacked! This I have heard on the grapevine and have no facts, but if it is true - where were the security guards??? Please get details for posting or squash this 'rumour'.

10 June: Lonehill Greengrocer shot dead in lottery heist attempt! I have received this disturbing information via email: "Hi Trevor - I have just heard that Jose` - the original owner of "Dinos" and the person who owns the Lonehill Fruit shop - was shot dead in his Pavilion Shop on Sat.(cor Rivonia Rd and Kelvin Drive). His wife is the pretty lady who runs the Lonehill Fruit shop. He was there the other day - we had a chat about the center. I cannot believe he is dead! They were residents of Lonehill Upper East. I hope I have all my facts right - I think so! Thanks for all the mail - always shocking but keeps us on our toes!"

Another Lonehill man dies!!! It's shocking and disgusting and criminal - it's a war on peaceful folk - and we have got to put a stop to it. I know those prayer chains are working overtime but please include this poor family as well.

Sandton Chronicle - Crime Watch (June 30) - Murdered for LOTTO Money Lotto machines claimed their first victim just before 5 pm on Saturday June 10, when popular greengrocer Jose Baptiste(40) was murdered for the money during a gang raid on the Pavilion Shopping Centre on Rivonia Road.

A gang of between five and six men simultaneously hit both the fruit shop and the cafe at the shopping centre. Customers at the fruit shop were ordered to lie on the floor. One of the robbers was posing as a customer, another was standing in the Lotto queue. When the feisty Jose` remonstrated with the robbers they shot him in cold blood. they made off in two cars, a red one and a white Polo.

Relatives had the added agony of having to wait with Jose`s body for hours until the mortuary van arrived. Virtually all the other shops in the Pavilion centre have been robbed, many of them more than once, but for nine years Jose`s shop was untouched - until he put in the Lotto machine. It has now been removed.

The funeral service for Jose` was held at the Catholic Church in Victory Park. He is deeply mourned by his wife Odette and two sons Keanu (3) and Dino (10)

09 June: Lonehill man DIES in attack by 3 ARMED thugs! From the little bit of info. I have been able to gather, this senseless, TRAGIC incident occurred on Friday evening - 9th June - at about 7 p.m. From what I hear, friends were visiting a Palmerton Road couple when they were accosted by three armed thugs who forced them all into the house and ransacked it. Not happy with their haul it appears that they forced resident - Chris (is all I have so far) - upstairs to empty out a safe. Chris pulled a gun out and killed two of the thugs but was in turn KILLED by the third, who got away in a small white vehicle.

Click here for latest update: Sunday Times - A Lonehill businessman - Chris van Klaveren, 36, - killed two robbers in his home before he was shot dead in a 19-bullet shootout in his bedroom on Friday night.

Again, this could be YOU or I, can you just imagine the devastation it would cause to your family. Let's find out who this shattered family are and rally around them as a community. Does ANYONE have any ideas on how we can help them through this tragic time - I am not skilled in such support, this needs to be coordinated by better people than me. Please help with guidance?
26 May: Lonehill Dispensary attacked by four ARMED terrorists! Just two weeks after Steve Parrymore was savagely attacked in his garage, another four armed gunmen attacked Gail Foxcroft and her team inside the Lonehill Dispensary.

As an indication of just how bad our Lonehill communication network is, I have only heard today - 6 days later - of the attack from the mother of a young girl who was caught in the fracas on Friday evening 26 May at 6:00 p.m. This only serves to highlight the importance of an active communication network to keep us aware of our challenge in Lonehill.

To add insult to injury I hear that this happened while '30 to 40' security guards were changing shift and boarding their vehicles - and they could do nothing because they were unarmed. So what good is the security at Lonehill Shopping Centre if it can't protect our kids and ourselves from these terrorists?????

12 May: Lonehill man critical after vicious AK47 attack! Last night I had the horrific, gory task of plugging up the gruesome gaping bullet wounds of my neighbor - Steve.

At 9 minutes past 7 p.m. I was sitting in my home office with some visitors when an almighty firefight broke out... seemingly on our doorstep! At least thirty shots were fired in a 90-second burst with the most chilling sound being the final deafening volley-burst of an AK47 and a car rushing off. Reminiscent of the very worst border-war experiences I have had in years gone by, I knew instantly that we had a REALLY serious situation on our hands. Click here for the full chilling story

Click here for 400kb picture of AK47 bullet-riddled car in Lonehill!

eMail Responses: Horror stories coming in from Lonehill residents!

Story 1: Just under a month (May 2000) ago a young chap, about 24 years old was involved in a hijacking in Sceales Road down near the golf course. He was driving a B.M.W 316, it was about 4.30pm on a Saturday afternoon, he had stopped to take a phone call, and was just pulling off when three young black guys between 18 / 24 stopped him with guns. They told him to get out of the car, as he was getting out, his shoe lace hooked on the pedals, they shot him in the chest through the windscreen, and ran off. Thank God he is alright now, and is leaving for the U.K. shortly - submitted by L.B.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Regards
Trevor Nel - Lonehill Resident
011 - 705-2790

Lest We Forget AULD Acquaintance - 1

The first few days of a New Year always find me turfing out old documents... some of which are always poignant. Take a look at these original communications that surfaced in my throw-out and which kickstarted our Lonehill Community Security Initiative:

Found on http://www.lonehillaction.co.za/lonehillattack.htm

Lonehill man critical after vicious AK47 attack!

Lonehill Village Terrorism!

Last night - Friday 12th May 2000 - I had the horrific, gory task of plugging up the gruesome gaping bullet wounds of my neighbor - Steve.

At 9 minutes past 7 p.m. I was sitting in my home office with some visitors when an almighty firefight broke out... seemingly on our doorstep! At least thirty shots were fired in a 90-second burst with the most chilling sound being the final deafening volley-burst of an AK47 and a car rushing off. Reminiscent of the very worst border-war experiences I have had in years gone by, I knew instantly that we had a REALLY serious situation on our hands.

As I nervously ran the 20 metres down the road I was met by the most frightening sight you could ever wish to see - and God-willing, you will never have to see what I saw! Behind the bullet-pierced windshield and shattered side-windows of Steve's car I saw his blood-spattered forehead slumped behind the steering wheel.

Click here for 400kb picture of AK47 bullet-riddled car in Lonehill!

Having a quick look at Steve and at the condition of the car I felt that his only chance was to get him to a hospital as quickly as possible. I rushed back to get my car to load him in and get going... but no such luck! Steve in his pain and shock had tried to climb out of the car and just slid onto the garage floor where the full extent of his injuries made it apparent that we could not risk moving him.

With 'rivers' of blood flowing from an exit-hole the size of a tennis ball on his right shoulder and a 'watermelon-pulp' wound on his left shin, I looked over the 26 or so AK 47- and makarov-pistol-like bullet-riddled bonnet of his car to see the horrified pale-white ashen-faced looks on the faces of his street-neighbours gathering in the road - some of whom I have not seen for months! And I couldn't help wondering what has happened to our community spirit to allow something like this to happen on our doorsteps! This is now a crime-induced war-zone, as bad as any terrorist violence I've ever witnessed - this is urban terrorism! And... what are we doing about it?

Helped by a very courageous resident/neighbour - Stacy - and a visitor friend Dave, we immediately began plugging and belt-tourniqueting the most critical flowing wounds and trying to keep an incredibly brave and shocked Steve in communication with us while we checked out the full extent of his injuries. It was all we could do to keep him with us. We could see two entry wounds in the lower bowel, the horrific holes in his shoulder and leg and an entry point in his thigh - he seemed to be hit by 5 or so bullets.

Stacy's husband - Brett - was doing a magnificent job on his cell phone organising the the paramedics and police - who I am told arrived within 10 to 15 minutes (to me it seemed like an age longer) - with a chopper arriving 5 to 10 minutes after that. I am told that the pilot made the most spectacular landing in a very tight landing area. A very competent group of doctors and medics took 30-odd minutes to stabilise Steve as he slipped into a morphine-induced coma right below me - having been roped in to hold the two drips (six replacement drips were used in this time) as they struggled to block his ruptured arteries in his shoulder/neck area. I cannot tell you the how horrific it was to witness the fountain of spurting blood as they sought to ventilate his lungs and restrict the flow of blood in his chest cavity. And.. I now know that this could be me... or YOU... in the near future... if we don't do something now!

I must mention that the paramedics, on arriving, had only one question for Steve on their arrival - not 'Where have you been hit?' or 'Where does it hurt?', but rather, 'ARE YOU ON A MEDICAL AID?' What the heck does that have to do with treating a critically- wounded human-being? After a choice little word or two from myself (for which I apologise), they called in the chopper and administered the morphine to reduce Steve's pain. But let this be a lesson to those who do not have medical aid. Heaven knows what would have happened if Steve had to have muttered, 'No'!

Understandably, my wife and I could not sleep after this horrific episode and we got to asking questions of our security in the Lonehill community... and why nothing is being done by the community at large to prevent this type of incident? It is now clear that our community is experiencing this type of violent-crime every two months or so... very soon it is going to be one of us!

Who do we blame? Do we just give up on the apathy of a community at large - where I think the biggest blame lies? Do we question the leadership of the LRA - who are just like us, people with families who give up their precious-little spare time to act on behalf of an unsupporting and apathetic community? Where is there a preventative SECURITY action program?

I don't think there is any way we can apportion blame... but now it is time to institute a MASSIVE ACTION program. Forget about little LRA newsletters that get hidden amongst the tons of junk mail proclaiming insignificant little Security issues - now is the time to hype up the Lonehill Community's emotions... as much as our neighbors are now hyped up! It is time for Lonehillers to face this urban terrorism head on!

Click here to join our Lonehill Residents Security ACTION email database - NOW! An active security communication network is vital email: (decommissioned)

It is time to employ shock tactics. Something like taking Steve's bullet-riddled car and parking it at our major entrances for a week or two with an invite to an LRA-organised Security CRISIS meeting - with a chilling slogan like: 'Are You DYING to stay in Lonehill?', or "With your luck... will you be next!" It is now time for our community and particularly it's part-time leadership to stop pussy-footing around! There are now many Lonehillers who have been directly affected by a tragedy of this nature in the past year and we can use these emotions now to great positive affect!

And.. if Lonehillers don't respond to a massive action program then I believe the LRA has every right to take what little monthly contributions they get from some of us and stick up notices that read... 'Welcome to Lonehill - the Village Community that doesn't give a damn!'

Sincerely
Trevor Nel

PS. If you are as nauseated as I am about this happening on our doorstep please print this out and distribute it to your neighbors - if they want to see action, get them to communicate with me on 705-2790 or send me an email so that I can put them onto our Lonehill email database. If you are on the LRA you'd better contact me while I am so riled up - perhaps you should ask Ian Bell (the best thing to ever happen to Lonehill) what type of action-man is communicating here! This is not the time to sit on our back-sides and do nothing.