Stokvel savings clubs have been warned to change their strategy when it comes to cashing out money, following 20 cases of robberies with close to a million rand of investments stolen in December last year.
Port Elizabeth Police spokesperson, André Beetge, says the Police are there to co-operate with organisers of stokvels, security companies and banking institutions to come up with a working solution to ensure that such robberies are avoided.
"Organisers of these savings clubs need to seriously change their strategy and methods when these large amounts of cash are distributed to its members," he said.
Beetge said stokvel organisations should consider news mechanisms and procedures as the new savings cycle is set to begin this month.
"It's a new year and organisers of these savings clubs are gearing up to start the new savings cycles and these organisers need to put mechanisms and procedures in place to ensure the distribution at the end this year, 2018, can be safe and secure," he said.
Motherwell Cluster Commander, Major General Dawie Rabie, has recommended that police need to have stokvel organisers come to their closest police stations to enlist to take part in workshops aiming to ensure they do not fall victim to robberies when investments are cashed out at the end of the year.
"Workshops will be conducted with security companies and banking institutions to plan support structures for these savings clubs," Dawie added.
