Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Criminals have field day in Muizenberg
THE first half of the year has been tough for Muizenberg as residents have had to deal with major crimes such as gang warfare, murder, arson, and looting, said Frank Bokhorst, chairperson of the local community police forum.
“Muizenberg police are under severe strain dealing with these things. Besides that, drugs, murders, robberies, family violence are common issues as well.
“Property-related crime is more common in the affluent areas of the precinct. Robberies on the beach (often of tourists) have been a great concern, but less in the winter months,” said Bokhorst.
SAPS Brigadier Novela Potelwa told the Weekend Argus the Muizenberg precinct, which comprises areas such as Kalk Bay and Marine Estate, had recently experienced incidents of theft out of motor vehicle. In response to these crimes, the police increased visibility at identified hotspots and enhanced deployments, she said.
“A close working relationship with security companies, neighbourhood and crime watches is gaining momentum in as far as decreasing such crime incidents.”
Muizenberg CPF public relations officer Lathif Gafoor said there have been calls from the community to have another police station built in Capricorn because the current station is not easily accessible to all residents of Muizenberg.
“There are often transport problems in the night as most public transport stops around 8 o’clock. This then results in a lot of crime going unreported to police. As a result, the police don’t have a true reflection of the crime in Muizenberg.”
He added that because some crime cannot be reported at the police station due to transport problems, governmental entities think crime is not as severe and do not see the urgent need in the building of a new station.
According to Crime Stats SA, Muizenberg showed a decrease in its murder statistics last year from 27 in 2016 to 25. Attempted murder, however, increased from 16 to 20, while arson decreased by one from 9 to 8. Drug-related crimes increased from 471 to 496 while common assault decreased from 366 to 291.
Meanwhile, gang- related crime incidents recorded in Sector 2 of Muizenberg, which is Hill View and Seawinds, are being addressed through the police station and provincial interventions such as raids and operations.
“A case in point is the arrest of a 33-year-old suspect and the seizure of a .357 Taurus revolver and ammunition by police members attached to Operation Thunder on 15 August 2018 in St Peter’s Avenue in Hill View.
“The arrest by Operation Thunder members was in response to a shooting incident earlier in St Edward Road.
“The suspect, who was detained in Muizenberg, is expected to appear in court soon on charges of illegal possession of firearm and ammunition,” said Potelwa.
She added that provincial detectives also have dedicated teams investigating all gang-related cases in an effort to arrest both runners and gang bosses. Their initiatives also focus on drug cases.
Gafoor said while manpower at the police station was not sufficient so was the resources they had. He said often state vehicles were not working properly and this hindered the police’s ability to offer proper visible policing to the community.
Explaining the recent unrest in the Muizenberg community, Gafoor said it was because of the community’s legitimate concerns.
“They have housing demands. We have about 40 000 people in 1km2 of land in Vrygrond. This has been a battle for community members for the past 20 years.
“The anti-social behaviour and the high unemployment rate in the community have resulted in people taking drugs, alcohol abuse and turning to crime,” said Gafoor.
shanice.naidoo@inl.co.za