The public took it upon themselves last Friday to patrol the hotspots in E’skia Mphahlele (DF Malan) Drive after a young woman from Hercules was assaulted and robbed.
Several people have been victims of smash-and-grabs on E’skia Mphahlele Drive – east and west bound. Vom Hagen street is regarded by residents as the worst spot on E’skia Mphahlele Drive.
“We need to do something about the road to decrease the crimes taking place there. E’skia Mphahlele Drive is used by a lot of people from Hercules and Pretoria North. We need to put an end to the smash-and-grabs and robberies. Almost every day someone is a victim of the crimes there,” community member, Erick Cordier said.
He explained when they patrol at the lower bridge, crossing the Apies River, smash-and-grabs take place on E’skia Mphahlele. Cordier suggested that since the Hercules community policing forum (CPF) is closer to the lower bridge, they should assist to curb crimes taking place there too.
“If we are busy patrolling this side, Hercules authorities should patrol the bridge to fight the crime happening on both sides.”
When Cordier was part of Sector 1 in Pretoria West they used to patrol E’skia Mphahlele about two or three times a week but since the disbanding of the sector there has been no patrols.
“After the girl was attacked on Thursday, I took it upon myself to do something before more and more people got hurt. I organised the community to patrol there and even old Sector 1 members joined and on the Friday there was no crime,” Cordier said.
Cordier said he had spoken to hawkers at the traffic lights and asked them why they didn’t report crimes. They responded that it was useless because the people get arrested today and released the following day.
“I can tell you now it is not the hawkers who commit the crimes because they are trying to make a living and they know they will have to go sell at the traffic light the next day again,” Cordier said.
Residents feel police and metro police are a stone’s throw from E’skia Mphahlele but are not doing enough to curb the smash-and-grabs and robberies at Vom Hagen, Johannes Ramokgoase, Boom and Struben Streets in E’skia Mphahlele Drive.
Pretoria West police and metro police failed to respond before going to print.
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