Living in fear every morning

The corner of President Fouche Road and CR Swart Drive, Northwold, is not safe.

This according to a resident who is too scared to have her name published.

She waits for a lift to work every day at 6am and has heard of muggings and rape in the area. The street lights on the corner are out, and with winter approaching, the resident is afraid she will soon be easy prey in the dark.

Ward 101 councillor Ralf Bittkau said that no corner was safe, but this corner had vagrants, a shebeen and long grass where muggers could hide.

“Twice, domestic workers have told me to be careful on the corner as allegedly muggings and multiple rapes have occurred in the undergrowth,” the resident said.

“Soon I will be standing in the dark, it is truly terrifying to contemplate. Men from the shebeen are drunk and aggressive and they approach people.”

She also claimed a white canopied pick-up truck delivers cases of beer in bulk to the shebeen in plain sight every morning.

Bittkau said he had contacted City Parks and Metro police, and there should soon be a joint operation where City Parks workers would cut the grass while Metro police protected them.

Metro police spokesperson Wayne Minnaar said he was not aware of any operation planned, but said he was not informed of every operation, and this one might have been organised directly with the area commander.

Bittkau said he was following up the issue of the lights being off. His and the Metro police’s involvement has been ongoing, he said.

A raid had taken place on 25 February but no one was arrested, and Metro police and Bittkau’s account of the raid had differed. While Bittkau said the raid had taken place to remove vagrants, Minnaar said they had responded to smash and grabs and littering.

Details: Ward 101 councillor Ralph Bittkau 084 572 4002, Metro police 011 375 5911.