A Pinetown father was shot dead by robbers who were stealing his car.

The man, who was shot in his chest, went into cardiac arrest and died at his home in Palmridge early this morning.

“Paramedics attempted to resuscitate him. However, his injuries were too severe and he was declared deceased on the scene,” said Garrith Jamieson, spokesperson for ALS Emergency Services.

Etienne van der Merwe, the control captain for the Palmridge Neighbourhood Watch, said the man happened to be awake when he spotted the robbers stealing his car.

“In this case, crime has escalated to a point where someone lost their life. The man happened to be awake at the time and he went to close the window when he was confronted with the suspects. They shot at him while they were stealing his car.

“He woke up and happened to go close to the window at the time. To lose your life for valuables is heart-breaking. We cannot ignore that petty crimes are on the increase and this is leading to worse crimes. Recently, the stealing of cars and car tyres, and copper pipe theft has increased. At night, usually after 2am, thieves are sitting in people’s yards and stripping their cars of the tyres. During the day, there is copper pipe theft.

“The problem is exacerbated because scrap yards are willing to take anything. Police do what they can but it is often not enough. People need to be aware of their surroundings. There is apathy regarding crime. Residents are not interested in upping their security, but this is largely because of the economy and financial constraints. It shouldn't be necessary for pitbulls and electric fencing, automated gates and alarm systems for residents to feel safe.

“People can't afford to up their security. The neighbourhood watch has been effective but now there are very few participants. We are trying to get more people to join. To minimise crime, we need people to come to the party and be a part of the solution,” he added.

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