Another installment in the Our Lives Are Never Dull Over Here series
On Sunday around 7:30pm my neighbour phoned me in a panic about chaos 2 houses down so I went to see what was going on. As I got within view of the road, I saw a crowd of people shouting and then running towards the main road. There was also a massive dogfight going on so I continued closer and as I got to the motorised gate, it opened and another two men ran out in the direction of the main road.
My main concern at that stage was the pair of dogs - pit bulls - that seemed intent on killing each other. A crowd of neighbours was starting to form but understandably, nobody was keen to intervene and one old man said to me: if you go in there and they attack you, nobody will help you and I couldn't argue with that so I settled for getting someone to help me lift the gate off the track and drag it closed to confine the dogs to the property, fortunately the dogs had stopped fighting with each other and were licking their wounds.
When asking what the hell had just gone down and whether the police had been called, I was told that the local station cops were stonewalling, so I called 10111 (our 911). The cops arrived shortly thereafter, toting automatic rifles and I told them not to enter the premises unless they were ready and able to shoot the dogs for their own safety. The main gun-toting policeman took one look at the dogs with giant heads covered in blood and took my advice and the cops conferred among themselves. Apparently, they can't shoot dogs without permission so they resolved to call the K9-unit before trying to gain entry. In the meantime, there were more voices from the house and appeals for help so the people inside were told to sit tight, help was on its way.
So what had just gone down? Ethiopian gangs over here conduct human trafficking of their countrymen: men and boys are with promised employment and smuggled here, but this is just a way of extorting their families back home and the gangs rent houses all over the city to hold their captives in and these men and boys had been put into the house around 3am that morning and 15 hours later the captives had caused a fight and broken out. They'd smashed a large window and then smashed their way through the front door and jumped over the high wall and ran out into the night, some of them barely dressed and injured from jumping the wall.
Human trafficker's dream house with substantial window bars and door gates. You can see the missing panel in the wooden door. The window behind the pillar was also smashed. Abandoned shoe and blanket as the captives made a run for it.
Apparently the last 2 that I saw leaving were their captors, who returned and were observing from a distance. When approached by residents, they ran away again. You can read more about these incidents in the links, there have been numerous. In fact police raided the same house in our street very early one morning about 2 years ago and rescued 30 or 40 Ethiopian captives.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jan/10/ethiopia-arrests-suspected-traffickers-johannesburg
While they waited for the K9 unit, one police van sped off down the road, apparently some of the escapees were in the next street and they managed to locate and rescue 3 of them. What happened to the others, about 17, is anybody's guess and my heart goes out to them. I live in a rough neighbourhood at the best of times and these poor people are illegal migrants who may not even know where they are. Ripe prey for others.
The K9 unit arrived and observed the dogs and decided that they would be able to enter the premises and did so shouting and wielding a metal pipe, successfully intimidating the dogs into a corner. Leaving one of their team to keep them there, they entered the house. 3 more people were extracted and put into the waiting vans. I asked the dog handler cops what they would be doing with the dogs and was assured that they would be removed by animal control, which was duly arranged. I'd had enough rubbernecking for one night and went back to my place. Now the house stands empty and some plain-clothed policemen arrive from time to time to observe, apparently they are trying to track down the new owner of the house, which had just been sold.
What a world we live in! Anytime I feel discontented, something happens around be to remind me just how much worse things could be.
Crikey! Life in the big city...one of the reasons I moved to the countryside.
Sadly, our countryside is home to a lot of drug-manufacturing, alcoholism and domestic violence. I wouldn't live there if you paid me
Ouch! We're lucky here then. We don't even have to lock our doors.
Heheheh... On my way.
Hahaha, you do make me laugh!
So I make myself laugh also. But that is usually coming out of a cold shower in the bathroom mirror...
😆 well if you can look down and see anything at all you are doing better than most at managing the beer belly
You are indeed
That's just awful @nikv! Thank goodness the police at least arrived, even though their hand were tied! Stupid laws that protect criminals!
To think these criminals can just take over an empty house!
The traffickers actually rented this house
That's so scary...I missed reading that part...blame the grey hairs👵 Almost worse than the gangs who just move in and take over abandoned buildings and houses!
It's absolutely unthinkable what those poor people go through and the dogs as well. How can people (supposedly humans) stoop so low!
Oh my goodness. What a crazy night. In California there are lots of pit bulls. Some communities were passing laws requiring pit bull owners to buy insurance to pay for anyone their dogs hurt. Of course this only works for law abiding citizens. The criminals aren’t going to buy insurance and they are the ones with the problem dogs.
Unfortunately there is very little regulation on vicious dogs here
oh gosh!!! how scary.
and yes, one of those little reminds about where we are and what we should be greatful for... here i am... annoyed that my kids are off school sick, but not super sick and are fighting and i "miss out on going to the gym" today...
priorities... right...
BLINGIT
It's easy to get caught up in our lives, I know it all too well
Oh my what a story! A brave woman, you are. I'm glad they broke out, they are heroes too. I hope they all got away.
Me too but the odds are stacked against them
😍😍🌹🌹
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That sounds crazy ! I'm glad you're okay, but have you thought of moving to somewhere a bit safer ?
As someone I know oncew pointed out: In this place, it's a decision between the first and second deck of the Titanic
Good point. Sometimes it's better to be the iceberg......
No words. This is so far removed from where I live it seems like a movie. A
Our lives are very surreal
Now you know why we exchanged Rosettenville for the Cape, as your story in here is just the tip of the iceberg.
Keep safe milady.
!PIZZA and !LUV
I've heard all about it and I wouldn't live in Rosettenville even if you paid me. I'm glad you got out and my area is generally less infested with drug dealers and house hijackers but Johannesburg isn't in good shape any more
!PIZZA
The idea was to establish Papillon in a crime hotspot, and we bought an old church property that we converted into a training and feeding center. Things started to work well in the early years, and we started to make great headway, but sad to say that it gradually grew worse. The last straw was when a guy stuck a gun into my neck and his partner with a big knife rifled my pockets and cleaned them out. Right at the front gate of the center in daylight. Later the police informed us that the two guys were killed in a shoot out at another robbery, but I knew that it was a signal for us to depart.
We sold the property to a big church movement that promised us that they will keep the projects at the center running, and so that was it, as we packed up and left.
!PIZZA
Damn, that's awful. It was definitely a good time to get out of there
It's a long 7 year story that is filled with successes and failures, but thankfully, we are survivors.
!PIZZA
Never a dull moment, I guess. WOW, I feel I do live in heaven when I read your story. The worst thing I encounter is people shouting at each other in the streets. Sure, in my city criminal stuff happens as well, perhaps dogs also fight each other, but I have never seen this. Dogs barking at each other is more common, though. But perhaps the most often I see dogs sniffing each other 😆
I hope it stays that way for you!
Wow ! How terrible for those people.
...and there you were, getting ready to take animal action again. 😄
You end up in the most... ummmm ... interesting adventures.
My lack of fear brings all sorts of weirdness that other people would have the sense to avoid.
😂
It's a crazy world where no one is safe. Either they catch you for having money or they catch you by mistake. In many cases they trap you to market the human being.
The world has gone mad
Terrific to hear. Imagine the situation of those poor immigrants, who were under captive for days.
I feel so sad for them
Ha , I really feel sorry for them, the human trafficking is everywhere and we pray 🙏 for solutions and please be careful nest time
It's really terrible what people do to each other
We really need to change our ways, and the attitude towards each other
fucking hell, that is like something out of a netflix movie! RSA seems to be a violent place to live, I chat to a few on here who have to live in gated communities. Scary.
I never knew your emergency call number was so long, by the time its dialled ....
SA is a crazy place although I don't even have a proper fence around my yard. Don't have as much to steal is my motto.
Knowing who all your neighbours are helps
I guess your philosophy works, still scary !
When you live in a violent crazy place, you make decisions like this or go to hide in fear somewhere