Oliver Lea Drive is back in the spotlight after a man was injured in a shooting yesterday (Wednesday) afternoon.

Spokesperson for ALS Paramedics, Garrith Jamieson, said: “We got to the scene around 18:00. The man was stabilised before being transported to a nearby hospital for the further care that he required. This is the second shooting incident ALS Paramedics has responded to in this park in the last three months.”

In July, a man survived after he was shot four times in the legs and abdomen while crossing a pedestrian bridge near Oliver Lea Drive.

In that incident Homeland Security said that the man in his forties was walking from one of the blocks of flats in Umbilo to Southway Mall. “While crossing the bridge, he was heard shouting, then gunshots were heard. We dispatched ALS Paramedics to attend to the scene, and they discovered that the victim was shot in the left leg. A search for two suspects ensued, and unfortunately no one was caught.”

Also read: Man critically injured in Umbilo shooting

In April, during the Umbilo SAPS crime awareness campaign, Oliver Lea Drive was identified as one of the hotspots, with higher incidents of personal robberies.

Also read: Man critical after Umbilo shooting

Umbilo CPF chairperson Sicelo Sibiya admitted that the area has been a problem for a while now.
“We have engaged several security structures in the past. Oliver Lea Drive needs not just the SAPS, but also the assistance of private security companies, whose constant monitoring of the area may require additional funding from the business sector. We need a serious security force around that bridge,” Sibiya said.

Residents and security companies in the area highlight that the area, especially the bridge, lacks proper lighting, resulting in recurrent robberies.

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