Businesses warned to be alert to Criminals exploiting COVID-19

DURBAN: “This morning I received a disturbing text message and photos showing armed men dressed like healthcare workers at the Checkers Supermarket in Scottsville Mall.

As shown in the photo, the men were wearing lab jackets, face shields, face masks and pretended to be health workers assigned to assess social distancing. These criminals walked away with R200 000 from pension pay-out point.

I wish to warn all businesses to be on full alert.

Plans are being put in place to ensure that contact details are provided for business owners to call in order to verify the status of the person claiming to do an inspection.

When conducting business inspections – inspectors from the department’s Business Regulations Unit and Consumer Protection Unit are always accompanied by law enforcement agencies in full uniform. This is aimed at ensuring that their work is performed within the confines of the law.

We will never win the battle against unemployment if businesses are the target of criminals.

It is for these reasons that I will be starting discussions with the captains of industry and business community at large about strengthening the Business Against Crime campaign.

Crime results in the deprivation of the rights and dignity of citizens and poses a threat to their rightful participation in the reconstruction and redevelopment of this province.
During COVID-19 Level 3, our main focus is resuscitating our economy and ensure that jobs are created by the business community.

I invite communities to join hands and work together with big business and police to fight any form of crime.

The rights and freedoms, which the constitution entrenches, are threatened every time each business and each citizen becomes a victim of crime.
Importantly, we need to face the fact that those who commit crime belong to our communities. They are our sons, brothers, uncles, fathers, friends and our neighbors. It is true that at times we know when they have committed a crime.

I also wish to remind the people of this province that aiding and abetting a criminal – is also a crime itself and therefore we have a responsibility to come inform law enforcement officers.

As we rebuild our economy, we must to work together and ensure that we eradicate this scourge from our society.

*ISSUED BY THE MEC FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, TOURISM AND ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS AND LEADER OF GOVERNMENT BUSINESS- NOMUSA DUBE-NCUBE*