COMMUNITY members in the Black Joint informal settlement in Bongolethu, Oudtshoorn say they are constantly troubled by break-ins and muggings in their area. According to residents several homes were broken into and personal belongings stolen in the past month.
The community complained that most burglaries happen when families leave for work in the morning or during their daily errands.
Families blame the lack of recreational facilities and poor living conditions as the contributing factors to crime in the area.
Many young people are unemployed and teenage drug and alcohol abuse are probematic.
One of the residents, Reginald Sauls (61), claims his shack was broken into twice while he went to the clinic. “I am very angry. My shack was broken into twice and some items stolen.
“The thugs entered after pushing down the door. They stole pots and everything they could sell for drugs. This was the second burglary at my house; it’s heartbreaking because I am a pensioner and I don’t have money to replace things all the time. This is devastating. Something needs to be done.”
Another resident, Leonard Windvogel, says he was robbed of his phone and cash on his way home by three teenage boys armed with knives.
Windvogel described how the boys sandwiched and threatened him with the knives: “This area has become hell, we are being terrorised by our own kids,” he says. “I was returning from visiting someone at the hospital when I got mugged.
They took my posessions at knife point, it was dark and no-one could come to my rescue,” he says.
Melissa Louw, who also resides in the area, says the area needs patrol units, especially during night time on weekends. “We need to engage with the police and other stakeholders to address this problem. This really concerns us, drugs and teenagers roaming the streets is our serious concern,” she says.
She adds that the area has no recreational facilities and as community members they really need to address this. “Our safety and that of our children is important! Most of these young people dropped out of school and are now using drugs.
They roam around and have nothing else to do except grouping themselves together and doing drugs.”
A query regarding the situation in Black Joint was sent to the Oudtshoorn Police, but at the time of going to press no response has been received. (By Mpumi Kiva)
Black Joint residents say they are troubled by constant burglaries
The Black Joint informal settlement. Photo: Mpumi Kiva