City Parks and Zoo to fence notorious crime spot in Tsutsumani
ALEXANDRA – Community leader Victor Thabethe said fencing off the park will help minimise crime in the area.
The incidents of the robbery near Second Park will hopefully soon be the thing of the past for the community of Cameroon Street in Tsutsumani.
This was according to a member of Cameroon Street Safety Committee Victor Thabethe after City Parks and Zoo agreed to fence off Second Parks, an area which has been regarded as notorious crime hotspot by residents.
In October last year, members of the community held a trail of service delivery meetings with local authorities in search of solutions to their problems.
During these meetings, the issue of crime came under the spotlight and residents revealed that a number of crimes were alleged to have been committed by some of the park users. Thabethe said a number of residents have been robbed of their cell phones and other valuables during evenings in the past few months by unknown perpetrators who hid in the dark park, adding that the solution to the issue was to put a fence around the park and lock it at night.
He continued that some members of the community who were victims of the alleged crimes were followed from the park and robbed at the gates of their houses at night. He said that fencing and locking the park at night will help minimise criminal activities in the area.
He concluded that the street patrol group will ensure that no one is allowed to remain in the park during the evening.
Councillor Shadrack Mkhonto, who took the matter to the municipal council, said City Parks promised to have the park fenced and finished before the end of April this year.
City Parks marketing manager Jenny Moodley said the park will be fenced once the insurance pays out. “We are currently waiting for the insurance company to pay out so that we fix the park and soon after that the work of fencing the park will start. We will also hire security personnel to ensure the safety at the park and look after the infrastructure at the park,” she said.
Cameroon Street committee deputy chairperson Victor Thabathe said their committee works closely with the police and community policing forum in combating crime in the area.
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