Wonder Hlongwa
The offices of three southern Cape newspapers have been burnt to the ground in an apparent revenge attack for reporting on the activities of gangs in the Hangklip area.
The offices of the Hangklip Herald, Hermanus Herald and Gansbaai Herald were set alight in the early hours of last Monday morning. A petrol can was found on the premises after the fire.
A series of reports by the newspapers’ editor, Dries Vermeulen, led to the capture of a gang ringleader in the suburb of Proteadorp. Another was arrested in a house gangs use to sell liquor and drugs.
A report on the killing of a prospective houseowner by a gang known as the “Rooi Darkies” might have prompted the burning of the newspaper offices.
There was approximately R300 000 worth of damage to the premises. Vermeulen is continuing to produce the newspapers from home. “This shows how newspapers can make enemies when all you are trying to do is your job,” said Vermeulen. The papers are privately owned by Gerald Grobler and his wife, Ilna.
Police representative Captain Ritter van Eeden said no suspects have been identified, but the investigation is continuing.