Hatfield struggles under heavy weight of lawlessness
The CID safety and security wing says law enforcement agencies need to collaborate and come up with effective strategies to ensure residents and students can study, live and thrive.
The Tshwane metro says it will measure noise in the student-populated Hatfield to ascertain if businesses in the area are in contravention of the municipal by-laws.
The Hatfield City Improvement District (CID) recently called on the metro and law enforcement to quell the mounting tide of “nuisance” that has sparked criminal activity, noise pollution, and other by-law violations in the area.
The CID said these problems threaten the integrity and safety of Hatfield, especially during this crucial exam period for students.
The CID safety and security wing said law enforcement agencies need to collaborate and strategise effectively to ensure that residents and students can study, live and thrive in a conducive environment.
Deon van Rensburg, head of security, said there are many private student accommodation establishments housing thousands of students and multiple nightclubs in the area.
He said Burnett Street has become the new “strip” in Tshwane with people coming from far away to enjoy some entertainment.
The popular street houses several student accommodations, restaurants and nightclubs.
The sections of Burnett Street – between Grosvenor and Hilda Streets – are also home to a large number of clubs, with students and other patrons flooding the street on weekends.
Weekly car crashes, crowd fighting and loud music are the norm in the area.
Van Rensburg said after the nightclubs close at 02:00, the patrons continue partying in their cars on Burnett Street with loud music.
“They take out camp chairs and cooler boxes. This then becomes public drinking.”
He said he is concerned that patrons move out onto the pavement to continue drinking and making a noise that students nearby cannot sleep or study.
He wondered where the TMPD was instead of enforcing by-laws in the area.
Van Rensburg alleged that UP students in the neighbouring residences struggled to study or sleep.
He said over the past year he had received numerous complaints about loud music emanating from a venue that operates even past its permitted next to a student residence.
“Hatfield CID arranged numerous meetings with the club owners to enable an amicable solution to the extremely loud music as students residing at Madelief are unable to sleep or study because of this music.”
Van Rensburg said that noise pollution is a problem for students during exam season.
“Out of the 300 students in the residence more than 90 have laid official complaints about the noise disturbance.”
He called on law enforcement to act.
“We tried countless times to engage the TMPD to show visibility, to enforce by-laws but it turned out to be fruitless.”
Van Rensburg said the area is increasingly being plagued by crime such as theft out of motor vehicles, theft of motor vehicles and cellphone snatchings.
He said cellphone snatchings are common in the area.
“Students are targeted by fake Uber or Bolt drivers.”
Cellphone snatching in Hatfield, Pretoria, South Africa 🇿🇦
The criminals drove off in a silver Audi A5.#SACrimeWatch pic.twitter.com/YjrJFdL5UC
— S.A Crime Watch (@crimewatch202) June 18, 2024
Van Rensburg said TMPD visibility and the general application of the law need to improve in the precinct.
“Further, a lot can be done to improve the relationship between law enforcement agencies and private security for greater impact against crime.”
He said Tshwane needs to engage its Hatfield TMPD satellite station to ensure it actively participates in combatting crime in Burnett Street.
Van Rensburg pleaded with the Tshwane community safety department to play a role in ridding Hatfield of crime.
He shared a list of 10 crimes in Hatfield:
– Theft of motor vehicle
– Cellphone grabbings (common robbery)
– Drunken driving causing motor vehicle accidents
– Armed robberies
– Public drinking – alcohol a major issue (Drinking from vehicle boots)
– Narcotics
– Drunken street brawls
– Urinating in public as Burnett Street has no toilet facilities but has 24/7 food outlets.
Cellphone snatching in Pretoria Hatfield pic.twitter.com/Jj8RsydyW9
— CrimeInSA (@sa_crime) September 17, 2023
Rekord contacted Tshwane metro about crime, police visibility, nuisance and noise pollution but it said it can only comment on nuisance and noise pollution because the other complaints fall under TMPD jurisdiction.
Metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo said the noise pollution complaint is in contravention of the Tshwane Town Planning Scheme and the matter will be escalated to the Scheme Contravention Section to address the situation from a zoning perspective.
“A noise measurement will be taken by the Municipal Health Services to determine if the establishments near the students’ accommodation exceed the prescribed noise rating level.”
Rekord invited the TMPD and community safety to comment on the allegations but they hadn’t responded at the time of publishing.
ALSO READ: TMPD pledge to pounce in Hatfield’s crime-riddled areas
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