Johannesburg - The move to remove window washers from busy Joburg intersections has taken a new turn with local communities now getting involved and taking action.
A group of concerned eastern suburbs residents is to hold a secret meeting this week to discuss the problem of informal window washers at the Bruma intersection.
Although the post has been placed on the local community Facebook sites of many different suburbs, the organisers said they could not disclose information to The Star, saying only that they would be working closely with the police and the Joburg metro police department (JMPD) to eliminate the problem.
Read: Don't give window washers cash, drivers urged
In the past two weeks there have been incidents where motorists were attacked. In one incident, a man was stabbed in the head three times with a screwdriver.
A spate of angry comments on Facebook resulted in calls for action.
In Greenstone, local community members have started a petition which will be handed to the JMPD once it reaches 1 000 signatures.
They also intend bringing in the Department of Social Development to find homes for the homeless and help for those who have a substance abuse problem.
Last week, City of Joburg member of the mayoral committee for public safety Sello Lemao issued a statement “highly condemning the brutal muggings happening around the city with the window washers, who are criminals and attacking motorists”.
He said officers would be working 24/7 on the issue of illegal window washers at busy intersections.
“As public safety, we are condemning the brutality that these guys can apply when not given anything.
“We would like to strongly apologise to the motorists of Joburg and, as from today [Monday], we will remove anyone who is on our intersections illegally.
“As motorists, we shouldn't be concerned all the time about who is posing a threat at stop signs or traffic lights,” he said.
He explained that police had been reluctant to prosecute as either the perpetrators were under-age or it was considered that theirs was not a crime for which they could be detained.
For one day after the statement was issued, the Bruma intersection at Albertina Sisulu was clear of the window washers. However, they then moved to a traffic light one block away.
The problem is rife at several intersections along roads such as Nugget Street, Grayston Drive, the M2-Eloff Street and M1-Smith Street offramps, and in Greenstone, near the mall.
The Star