Members of the Northern Taxi Liaison Committee, based at the Randburg taxi rank, are completely fed up with high school children acting like juvenile delinquents at the rank after school.
Committee member Jacob Ngoma has stated that underage drinking and other crimes are becoming harder to control. “A few weeks ago, a child got so drunk that he had to be carried out of the rank after vomiting all over before passing out.”
Other committee members have even found school children having sex behind a wall, “We often find used condoms lying around where these children hang out.”
The children come from various high schools in the Randburg vicinity and come to the rank after school to meet up and play football with their friends. They buy cheap two-litre cold drinks, which they then mix with alcohol spirits and share among themselves, each using his or her own straw to sip with.
They drink, smoke cigarettes and it has even been alleged that the take drugs there.
“We don’t know who is selling them the alcohol or drugs,” said Ngoma. “We suspect that there are adults who buy it for the children and we fear it’s because they want to take advantage of the children. All we know for certain, is that it’s becoming a serious problem.”
Ward 102 councillor David Potter can only add this problem to a long list of issues currently revolving around the rank. “It is of concern that this is taking place. As the councillor, I remain concerned as to what is taking place at the Randburg taxi rank and surrounds,”
Potter trusts that the Randburg Police and Metro Police will together investigate the necessary complaints and take action with urgency.
“The police should contact the local schools to inform them of such,” Potter stated, “and also allow for interventions such as briefings on what the police will be doing, should they find such children partaking in the activities.”
Metro Police have responded by saying that they were not aware of the problem, they will however take it up with Randburg Police and follow up on the matter.
