Cape Town - Business owners in Voortrekker Road, Bellville, fear for their lives, saying crime is a major concern. A shop owner, who didn’t want to be named, said his shop window was smashed last week and hoped a new safety kiosk opened on Tuesday would help curb crime in the area.
“It must work. Last week we opened our shops only to find windows bashed,” he said.
“Crime is really terrible in this area, including drug smuggling that happens on a daily basis. I fear for my life.
“We’ll just have to wait and see if this helps, but I hope it does.”
On Tuesday, MEC for Community Safety Dan Plato handed over a safety kiosk to the Voortrekker Road Corridor Improvement District (VRCID).
“The safety kiosk will be utilised for crime prevention by increasing visibility in hot spot areas, and through daily operations and blitzes in partnership with the VRCID,” said Plato.
Plato said the handover forms part of the delivery of the first phase of the “new safety partnerships”, which will see the roll out of 40 safety kiosks.
These, he said, would enable communities to play an active role in identifying and resolving safety concerns in their neighbourhoods.
VRCID’s Lappies Labuschagne said the kiosks have proven to be successful as there has been a decrease in crime wherever the kiosks have have been placed.
Labuschagne said because the kiosks are visible and accessible 24 hours a day, it will be easy for people to report crime. “I hope the city gives us more kiosks,” he said.
Business owners and residents are not the only people who’ll benefit.
Security guard Thobela Mfana said: “As much as the kiosk is meant to fight crime, it will also provide shelter when it rains so we can do our jobs much easier.
“It is going to be very helpful to us in doing our job.
“And I’ve seen that where there are these kiosks, criminals don’t commit crime,” Mfana said.
Cape Argus