For over three years, Frans Matlala, a senior traffic officer in Randfontein, has been going beyond the call of duty to voice the grievances of Aureus residents about the open veld in the area, which is believed to be where the criminals who terrorise the community of the area are hiding.
Matlala said the open veld has been a big concern to the residents, but complaints about it to the municipality have come to nothing so far.
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“No action has been taken about this. People have been complaining about it for too long. People are affected by crime as a result of this piece of veld. They said even though there are security companies that patrol the area, their houses are not safe when they go to work.
“Many houses here have been broken into, and the culprits are right next to them. They live here, in the veld,” Matlala said.
On a tour with the Herald in the veld, a nearby abandoned building was found to contain beds and makeshift furniture.
“You can clearly see that people are living here. The problem is that during the day you won’t find anyone.
“It is unsafe because there are many children who are being raised in the community, and there is a school nearby. Snakes have been found in this piece of veld too. It is quite dangerous.”
Matlala said people using the far end of the area to walk to town to catch public transport often fall victim to crime, as robbers lurk in the veld.
“It is now going to get worse because of the winter. The area is also strewn with rubbish and it almost looks like a dumping site. It is very undesirable”.
Matlala said something should be done immediately about the place. “This place must be cleaned up and the abandoned building should be demolished. The area must be cleaned up and maintained,” he said.
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