Northern flats residents livid about inaction by police
Residents of an apartment building in Pretoria North feel law enforcement agencies are ignoring their complaints about the illegal occupation of a site opposite their building and are passing the buck between them.
Residents of Alitra Court in 283, Burger Street, Pretoria North are up in arms about a shebeen and a car wash next to their flats.
Trustees of the Alitra Court body corporate confirmed they have received several complaints, especially over weekends from residents complaining about noise, such as loud music and rowdy people who visit the shebeen day and night.
Over weekends the noise is exceptionally loud until the early mornings.
They claimed both the local police station, as well as the metro police are passing the buck between them to do on the ground policing.
The residents are living in fear, as they have been threatened by the people living on the streets in front of the site, as well as those at the site.
“We fear for our lives,” said one of the residents who wished to remain anonymous.
This person said one of the residents took photos from a vehicle window and someone came storming towards them, making all kinds of gestures and threats.
Discussions have been held at Pretoria North Police Station with the station commander and statements were submitted.
The residents claimed that their complaints were not receiving any serious attention from the police.
“It is like walking into a brick wall,” said one resident.
Another resident emphasised that metro police members did not react to their complaints.
The corporate body has advised the mayor’s office of the trespassing of by-laws and alleged non-policing of the area by the metro police via e-mail, but it went unanswered.
Police spokesperson, Warrant Officer Johan van Dyk, said the area has become a hangout for the homeless, since a shop in the area closed.
“They now live in this area close to the shop, buy liquor at a local liquor store and take it back to the place which they have made their home,”
Van Dyk confirmed that the police have made several arrests in the area for drinking in public and regularly have crime busts.
“We have also advised the residents of the flats to report the squatters and the shebeen to the metro police as this is a contravention of municipal by-laws that they should be policing,” said Van Dyk.
He confirmed that metro police are regularly invited to join any crime busts in the area to police by-law transgressions.
Comment from the Tshwane metro has not been received by the time of going to press.
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