WATCH: Motorist caught on camera damaging public park

A driver of a “white van” is accused of using the cover of darkness to repeatedly drift and spin around the JH Snyman Park in Farrarmere, causing severe damage to the facility and frustrating nearby residents.

The park, used for anything from jogging, walking dogs and taking a stroll to children enjoying a game, now has deep tyre marks, as the Benoni City Times saw during a visit there on September 18.

As per those tyre marks, the motorist seems to make loops around the park while the grass, in some parts, is ripped up, leaving deep marks on the ground.

The motorist was caught on surveillance spinning and drifting around the park at around 18:20 on September 21, leaving deep marks on the ground.

In his more than 20 years living in the neighbourhood, resident Bryan Keague told the paper he’s never seen “such deliberate and inconsiderate vandalism”.

“This person is miserable and should be charged for damage to public property,” he said.

Over a year ago, Keague said concerned resident Dirkie Steenkamp arranged a meeting with the CoE about adopting the park after the municipality had failed to service it.

According to Keague, before they intervened, the park was in a terrible state, full of litter and with grass about 1m high.

The residents in the vicinity have since banded together to help with the park’s upkeep, with Keague using his grass cutter to trim the edges. Another resident, Mike Penney, assists with his sit-on mower.

“The park looks quite nice, and it’s great seeing the children play in it. But it seems some locals are hell-bent on ruining it. They use it as a driving lesson pad, speedway and parking area. Bikers also think it’s an ideal wheelie spot and rip up the grass.

“Some are apologetic. However, there’s one who, in the dark of night, is hell-bent on ruining the park, coming into it several times. He skids, spins and ruins the grass,” Keague explained.

Penney said the damage to the park is disappointing.

“It’s disrespectful. It’s a public park, not only for the residents around it but for the general public in Benoni. It’s disappointing that somebody can come here and ruin it,” he said.

Keague called on residents to take a video or write down the car’s registration and report them to the SAPS because they are contravening the city’s regulations on parks and open spaces by-laws.

Municipality’s response

The CoE spokesperson, Zweli Dlamini explained that in keeping with chapter two of the Bill of Rights of the Constitution of the country, no person shall drive, draw or propel any cycle, or vehicles other than a wheeled chair, or a perambulator drawn or propelled by hand and used solely for the conveyance of a child or children or invalid, in any park, except in the places and at the times which shall be defined by the council’s by-laws or by notices affixed or set up at or near the entrance to any such park.

“A person contravening a provision of these by-laws shall be guilty of an offence and be punishable on conviction by imprisonment for a period not exceeding 6 months, or to a fine not exceeding R2000,00 or to both such fine and imprisonment, and in the case of continuing offences, be liable to such fine or imprisonment for each such offence, or to both such fine and imprisonment,” Dlamini said.

He urged the residents to report this to the EMPD

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