Residents are being urged to remain vigilant following a reported incident in which four men, one allegedly armed with a gun, approached a family’s vehicle along Winnie Mandela Drive on September 14.

Ward 94 councillor David Foley said the incident happened at 19:30 near the intersection of Winnie Mandela Drive and Mulbarton Road in Beverley.

According to Foley, the family had just left a school concert when the men approached their vehicle and knocked on the window.

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He said the family was left distressed but managed to drive away from the scene.

Crime concerns along main route

Foley said the incident was concerning as he believed crime was increasingly being reported along Winnie Mandela Drive, particularly around intersections.

He said previous efforts had focused on the on-ramps and off-ramps along the road, with the SAPS, the Fourways Improvement District (FID) and CPF patrollers involved in increasing visibility.

Foley said the focus now needed to extend further along the road, with increased visibility from private security, the SAPS and the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD).

He said he had also raised the issue during a councillors’ forum with the JMPD and would push for the enforcement of by-laws relating to people standing at intersections.

Jurisdiction and community response

According to Foley, Winnie Mandela Drive is a provincial road, and the first 100m of the dual carriageway falls under provincial jurisdiction. He said there should therefore not be people handing out pamphlets or milling around at intersections within that area.

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Foley said the community, security companies and law enforcement would need to work together to improve safety along the route.

He also thanked Fourways Guard and Security and the Fourways Improvement District for increasing their visibility at the intersection following the incident.

Foley said residents who see people standing at intersections and suspect they may be involved in criminal activity should contact 10111.

He said recent CPF meetings covering sectors in the Douglasdale area indicated that police were also aware of increasing crime trends, although resources remained stretched.

JMPD spokesperson, Xolani Fihla, was approached for comment on September 16 and promised to revert. An update will be provided once the information has been received.

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