Area around local building “a hotspot for crime”

The area surrounding a building in Wonderboom-South has become a hotspot for criminal activity and vagrancy, according to residents.

Known as the Foley and Law building, it is situated on the corner of Steve Biko Road and Hertzog Street, and has been the cause of many problems for the past two years.

Residents say the presence of the recyclers occupying land surrounding the building, especially the sidewalks, led to a marked increase in crime.

Recyclers also use the spot as a sorting site.

Many say the building has become a hotspot for illegal and violent activities over the past two years with many fearing for their own safety in their houses at night.

One resident said she has been the victim of multiple attempted break-ins from recyclers and lives in a state of perpetual fear.

According to some residents, a turf dispute of sorts has broken out among the recyclers and has led to multiple stabbings and other violent incidents.

Rekord recently reported on a recycler who was stabbed multiple times on a street near the building.

The local CPFs said they have had their hands full with the increase in crime.

Moot CPF chairperson Elsabe Weyers said the violence was because of a turf dispute.

“They are very territorial and violence erupts quickly when they start fighting each other,” she said.

She asked that residents refrain from leaving them clothes or food to not attract more criminal activity.

Johan Rossouw, who runs a business across from Foley and Law, said his business has suffered as a result of the activities taking place there.

“The place is infested with rats that get into our building as well,” he said.

“The recyclers urinate and defecate in the street right outside my business and the smell is something terrible.

“It seeps into my products and we are forced to throw large amounts of it away.

“The entire thing is a mess and the metro doesn’t do a thing to solve the problem.”

Rossouw provided pictures showing fires being made on the sidewalks with the smoke entering his property.

The Tshwane metro said they were in the process of removing recyclers and vagrants from the property.

“The previous tenant left his workers on the property and refused to remove them when requested to do so by the metro,” metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo said.

“The metro then obtained a court order to evict the illegal occupants and handed over the property to the new tenant on July 27, 2022.

“The new tenant is getting approvals to develop the property for business purposes as per the signed lease agreement.

“The metro is currently embarking on a process to remove the recyclers from the property and find them alternative accommodation, which will assist in resolving most of the residents’ complaints,” Mashigo said.

The problem has been going on for years and the metro labelled it an “illegal invasion”.

Last year, the metro embarked on an eviction of 70 residents by handing them eviction notices.

Previous tenants erected their own security and fencing to keep themselves safe.

To report land invasions, the public can contact the Tshwane metro police department 24/7 at 012 358 7095/7096.

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