BEDWORTHPARK. – Embattled Emfuleni suburb Bedworth Park is under siege every night with a reign of terror by criminals targeting municipal streetlights specifically to invade and loot students and other residences under cover of darkness.

Every night, the streets of the densely overpopulated suburb are plunged into complete darkness due to almost complete absence of street lights – almost all of which have been vandalised, says the local municipality, the local Councillor and fearful residents.

The ongoing crisis and nightly criminal reign of terror in Bedworth Park – home to many student residences and thousands of students – was confirmed to MooiVaal Media by residents, the Emfuleni Local Municipality (ELM) and local Councillor Edward von Bodenstein (DA).

Now the Bedworth Park crime problem is also spreading to neighbouring areas as far as Riverbend beside the Vaal River and near the North-West University Campus, where streetlights and residents are increasingly falling victim to the same fate.

Sedibeng Police did not respond to requests for comment and information by publication time.

Complete darkness at night is ideal for marauding gangs – some said to be gangs of drug addicts – who now invade and attack students and other residents at will after sunset to plunder and terrorise, according to students.

So fearful are students and residents that none approached by Vaalweekblad wanted to be openly identified and preferred to remain anonymous.

Gangs often consist of Nyaope addicts and are escalating against learners and students before they leave for annual holidays in the coming weeks after exams – with grabbing laptops, mobile phones and other expensive electronic equipment a priority for criminals.

So completely have all municipal lamp-poles been vandalised in Bedworth Park that the local municipality says all “except for possibly one or two” are broken and do not work despite claiming efforts to replace the massively-expensive infrastructure.

Gangs are now said to be escalating against learners and students before they leave for annual holidays in the coming weeks after exams.

Such roaming gangs have deliberately targeted street lights to create conditions for their nightly looting sprees and have reduced the community and students to a state of helpless terror, say students and residents.

Nyaope – a toxic blend of heroin and other addictive substances – is a widely used and main drug scourge in especially nearby Emfuleni townships and in parts of Vanderbijlpark and Vereeniging.

Bedworth Park is part of Vanderbijlpark.

Both von Bodenstein and ELM say Police have been requested they have repeatedly requested police to intensify patrolling in Bedworth Park and other affected areas at night, with the Councillor adding the Police were doing their best with limited resources.

Von Bodenstein also says he has met with student leaders and University authorities on the worsening situation.

ELM spokesperson Makhosonke Sangweni confirmed on inquiry that almost every street light in Bedworth Park is vandalised and inoperable due to criminal gangs stripping wiring and cabling from the poles faster than they can be replaced.

In some cases, even lamp poles have been toppled and removed for sale by criminals, said Sangweni.

“Except for possibly one or two, all Bedworth Park’s street lights have been vandalised and are inoperable,” said Sangweni.