More Fourth Street drama: Vagrants use woman’s garden as a toilet
A woman says she has no idea what to do anymore, because vagrants allegedly relieve themselves in the garden on her pavement. Police station commander comments.
Following a News story about the residents surrounding Fourth Street in Krugersdorp North being fed up with vagrants and drug users in the area, one woman came forward to tell her story.
Although the News has received reports of less activity following the story, Anne Venter said she had been struggling for almost a year to get some help.
Read initial article here: The dark side of Krugersdorp North: The municipality responds
The 55-year-old Anne explained that vagrants use her pavement to do their business and have now even started using the garden that she had planted.
She said it all started before lockdown last year with clients of the tavern across the road drinking and littering on her pavement, sometime even relieving themselves there. The tavern is said to have closed down since.
“I clean up their mess all the time, but now they have started using and destroying my garden,” she said.
She has already cut down two trees to try and deter them, but to no avail.
“When I chase them away they just curse and scold me. They come at night when we are all sleeping,” she said, and added that the stench is unbearable at times.
When she tells them her garden is not their toilet they allegedly just tell her that it is a public place and they can do what they want.
Anne has been living in the house for the past three years and she said she had even spoken to the police about the problem.
“This is my home. I have to respect other people, why can’t they respect me and my property?”
She is also afraid of the health risks the vagrants’ actions may hold.
The News has since met with Brigadier Ngwako Mashao, the Krugersdorp Police station commander and he explained a three-phase plan that would be implemented.
First they will warn the people living there – this includes taking photos of them. When they are caught again the police will arrest them, and lastly they will have to appear before the Municipal Court for contravening municipal by-laws.
The police will not only target Fourth Street, but the whole of Krugersdorp.
