Motorists driving along Paul Kruger Street not only face problems with heavy traffic, but also face the risk of becoming victims of robberies. A Capital Park resident, Yvonne Cotus, who regularly uses the road to take her son to and from the Pretoria station, shared her experience. “While on our way back home from the station, a group of three men stormed my vehicle and demanded cell phones and money. This was on the corner of Paul Kruger and Bloed streets.
“One, armed with a long, silver knife, came to my side of the car. I told him I only had R4. The other man tried to take the car keys out of the ignition, but my son was quick enough to close the window before they could grab it. Another one of the men then told the others to leave us alone, because I told him we did not have any money or cell phones,” Cotus said.
At the time of the attempted robbery, traffic was moving slowly, mostly because the street is under construction for the Bus Rapid Transit System. “The traffic was bumper to bumper. Despite a number of motorists and a lot of people moving around, nobody bothered to assist us,” she said.
Another problem arose when Cotus called the police for help. “I first called the Wonderboompoort police station, but they referred me to the Pretoria Central police station. Pretoria Central then referred me back to Wonderboompoort,” she said angrily. “We went home and I again called the Wonderboompoort station, which then assisted us at last. The police and my son went back to the scene, but by that time the criminals were gone.”
Asked for comment, the Pretoria Central police spokesperson, Sergeant Ann Poortman, said there was no way the police at the station would not assist the victim if the incident occurred on the corner of Bloed and Paul Kruger streets. “Perhaps the traffic is heavy because Paul Kruger Street is completely closed between Boom and Madiba streets,” she added.
Robberies are common in Sunnyside, since criminals target vehicles at intersections. Most of the victims are people who drive with their windows open.
