Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Strand is battling drug scourge
Gang violence and substance abuse are big problems affecting the community
STRAND residents are at their wit’s end following an escalation of drug-related crimes.
Last year they had 1 554 incidents, and this year the number of reported cases jumped to 1 917. South African National Civic Organisation (Sanco) vice-chairperson Faeez Rhoda said in the past two years there had definitely been an increase, and this had resulted in shootings and gangsterism in the area.
“The community is sitting with their hands in their hair, with the crimes happening at any time of the day. Muggings, armed robberies, assaults, and shootings are taking place in the Broadlands areas. Around the 25th to the fourth of each month, robberies spike. People usually get paid around this time, receive their pension and child support grants. When they go to the ATM to get that money, they are robbed. Shootings go up during this period,” said Rhoda.
He said parents needed to stop covering for their children and should rather try to get them some help.
“Some of these boys can be rehabilitated. They are really talented and want to get help. They should not be afraid. They can get out.”
Jannie Frieslaar, Community Policing Forum chairperson for Strand, agreed with Rhoda. “Parents need to be held accountable because some of the youngsters are doing bad things and the parents are allowing it to happen. Almost every week around three to four firearms are found by police.”
Since the beginning of January, shootings had occurred where young boys had been murdered, he said.
According to Ward 83 councillor Carl Punt, Strand has a population of about 50 000, and the types of crimes affecting his ward are contact crimes, attempted murder, theft out of houses and vehicles, assaults, motor theft, and break-ins at houses, businesses, and vehicles.
“Gang violence and substance abuse are also big problems in Strand, especially sector one, but they have a direct and negative effect on sector two and sector three.”
Punt added that he received a lot of criticism that the government, local, provincial and national, does not act enough in preventing crime in the neighbourhood.
“Instead of blaming someone else, we all need to play a part, and thus do something about it. To be a neighbourhood watch member is a good start, and then we can take our communities back by assisting the SAPS.”
As the festive season draws closer, Punt warned that there was always an increase in crime during this period and, on a weekly basis, on bin collection days.
“Liquor outlets in Strand CBD are also a concern, especially at weekends and late evenings. With the increasing number of street people on a monthly base, the social problems get bigger and bigger.
“We do not have enough facilities in the Strand area to assist them. Street children roam around in Strand CBD and steal from visitors and especially the elderly. This is a big concern as these children need to be in school and not in the streets. The socio-economic problems increase day by day, and this does reflect on unemployment.”
Meanwhile, the City of Cape Town’s mayoral committee member for Area East, councillor Anda Ntsodo, said the SAPS was the lead agency in public order policing. The City’s law enforcement agencies assist the SAPS in their operations in Strand.
Philip Versfeld, information officer for the Strand Neighbourhood Watch, told the Weekend Argus that drugs were killing the community, with some people turning to crime to support their habit.
“We have seen a child as young as 10 doing drugs. We have a large community of retired people, and they are often seen as soft targets.”
This festive season, the Neighbourhood Watch will run a tagging system for children, and conduct patrols around the beach and surrounding areas.
Each Neighbourhood Watch member will work on five of their annual leave days to help tag children on the beaches.
Crime hot spots identified by Punt are the dunes at Dune Park (Beach Road), Strand station and the railway line from Strand station to Van der Stel station, the bird sanctuary, Lourens River and Sanral property.
Lieutenant- Colonel André Traut said: “The allegation made by certain individuals that Strand police are under pressure or are being threatened by gang members is devoid of truth.
“We are well aware of the gang activities in areas such as Broadlands and Rusthof, and measures are implemented in terms of our operational plan to address crime in these affected areas.
“Identified gang members and gang strongholds are in our sights, and frequent crime operations are conducted to bring perpetrators to book,” added Traut.