AN outcry for something to be done about the muggings at the M13 footbridge in Pinetown has been raised by various stakeholders.
The bridge has been a crime hot spot for years now and people are robbed almost every day and some people have made suggestions for the bridged to be closed permanently. The Highway Mail recently published a story about a patroller who was shot at while trying to assist two people who were being mugged.
Chairman of the community control room, Justin Bosse who is also the chairman of one of the Pinetown sub-forums said they receive crime reports daily.
“The SAPS and the neighbourhood watch have done a number of operations and have tried to patrol the area to the best of their abilities, but SAPS does have not enough manpower to watch that bridge 24/7,” said Bosse.
Bosse said they should receive stats on the times the muggings usually occur so police and the neighbourhood watch can patrol the area.
One of the vendors said people get robbed there almost every day. “These incidents happen mostly in the morning and afternoons when people are coming or going to work. People use this bridge as it is a short cut from the Pinetown CBD to Ashley and it will be unfair for this bridge to be closed because of criminals who prey on hard working people,” said the vendor.
Ward 18 newly elected ward councillor, Melanie Brauteseth, was one of the people who walked around the bridge to inspect that area and was left stunned by the filth in the area.
She said it was completely unacceptable that the pedestrians of Pinetown have to navigate a gauntlet of fear whenever walking through this area.
“It is also completely unacceptable that Transnet and their entity, PRASA, have completely neglected their property in this way. “This problem has been ongoing for many years and it is clear that Transnet is paying lip service to the situation. Transnet needs to secure the area and clean up the vegetation and litter. They also need to work actively with the Pinetown SAPS to monitor and act against criminal elements in the area.”
She said she has written to Natasha Mazzone MP (Transnet) and Manny De Freitas MP (PRASA) and requested for them to take these matters up directly with the relevant ministers,” she said.
“This issue must be tackled at the highest level. I will also engage with the Safer Cities department at council level and the local SAPS to urge that they apply their authority to ensure that the area is cleaned up and that regular SAPS patrols are conducted in the area,” she added.
Pinetown SAPS communications officer, Capt Bongumusa Manqele, said crime prevention members regularly patrol the area.
“The police are usually briefed to inspect that area and in these past months it seemed as if the muggings have decreased. Police will try to patrol that area more often to catch these criminals,” he said.
Numerous attempts was made to get a comment from Transnet Freight Rail, but none was received by the time of publication.
