Residents of De Zicht near Richwood and Burgundy Estate rolled their sleeves up this past weekend to clean up a nearby field of rubbish and overgrown vegetation, particularly the invasive Port Jackson.
Glenn Marais, chair of the Richwood Neighbourhood Watch (RNW), said the area outside the De Zicht Estate had been a high-risk area for crime for a while.
“You will recall the tragic incident a couple of years ago where a young lady lost her life as a result of a robbery and fatal stabbing.
The bush was cleared back then by residents of De Zicht, armed response companies and the City of Cape Town. Since then the bush has grown back, and crime is ongoing.”
The recent bush clearance was arranged by RNW’s De Zicht sector and coordinated by Shaun Veldtmann and JP Pretorius, he said.
“These guys spent two Saturdays in the scorching heat.”
“They were cutting down the Port Jackson bush trying to make the area safer and cleared so people using that gravel road can see who is ahead, giving them time to try to avoid being attacked and robbed.
“A service request was completed for bush clearance, and emails were sent to some officials to get this area cleared. Hopefully, they will action it soon.”
Marais said the property where the clearance took place is owned by the City and earmarked for development.
Crime
He said reports of robberies come through to RNW very often, “sometimes on a daily basis. Criminals will await their prey behind these bushes and then attack them and rob them of their belongings. On Friday two women were robbed. Thankfully a Richwood resident intervened and one woman was taken down to the Bothasig Police Station by the resident. The suspects ran off into the bushes.”
Marais said most of the victims were either domestic workers or workers going or coming from work. “We have requested that the homeowners who employ the domestic workers take them to catch a taxi home. It is safer for them.”
During the clearance the team came across an area out of sight where it appeared electric cables were being stripped. There have been power outages as a result of cable theft, said Marais.
“I have liaised with our ward councillor to have a similar CCTV camera installed in that location, like the one we have in Richwood, so we can monitor it for suspicious activities and persons. This will be a great help. The police patrol the area, but once they leave it is fair game again for these criminals. It is sad because these victims lose their valuables and do not open cases because they are afraid of retaliation. I am hoping the City sends a team to start clearing the area, but we will wait and see.
- TygerBurger reported on the murder of the 28-year-old resident Suritha Alting in 2022. She was attacked and stabbed multiple times in the early morning on Saturday 12 November 2022.
