A dirty stream that borders a suburb in Pretoria West is driving residents up the wall.
A woman was attacked and robbed a few metres from Skinnerspruit behind the suburb two weeks ago, according to resident Willien van Rensburg.
“We thought she was dead, but when we saw that she survived the attack, my mother tried to calm her down, but she was very confused,” she said.
Van Rensburg said it was thought the woman was in her 70s.
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“The robbers took her handbag and cellphone before fleeing,” she said.
“We don’t know what to do anymore, it could have been my mother or father who was attacked.”
Van Rensburg said the suspicion was that the robber was one of the squatters living near the stream.
“We fear for our safety on a daily basis,” she said.
Surrounding this stream is a field locals said was home to an unknown number of squatters.
Overgrown plantation and illegal dumping were also an issue at the stream.
Residents in Quagga Road said they were at their wits’ end about the stream.
Brenda Botha, who has been living in the same home for about 30 years, said residents feared for their lives daily.
“We can no longer live this way anymore. Something needs to be done. Someone should hear us,” she said.
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Botha said the illegal dumping on the field began about six years ago.
“Not long after, homeless people made the field home,” she said.
“Prostitution, late-night noise and a terrible smell quickly followed.”
She said in the six years since, they have experienced “terrible things”.
“In the past, they have found bodies and foetuses in the field,” she said.
“Some evenings we hear hair raising screams and we always assume the worst.”
Van Rensburg said criminals had tried many times in the past to break into her home.
“Our neighbour has even erected a higher wall around his property. My family doesn’t even want to visit me anymore,” she said.
“When people visit I cannot ask them to leave their vehicle outside because something will be stolen off the vehicle if not steal the vehicle itself.”
Van Rensburg said the previous ward councillor for the area visited them a few years ago about the problem.
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“She went out of her way and had the field cleaned up, but not long afterwards it was just the same again,” she said.
Botha said they were stuck.
“We cannot even think of selling our property to escape because the value has gone down drastically,” she said.
“We are stuck and have become prisoners in our own home.”
The Tshwane metro was not available for comment at the time of going to print.
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