Pretoria - Tshwane police urge motorists not to relax and let their guard down on the Mabopane Highway (R80) around the Theo Martins Poort mountains despite a strong campaign to combat crime on the highway.
This comes as more motorists have been making stops in the area which saw unsuspecting motorists were violently attacked, carjacked, robbed and one person murdered last year.
Brigadier Samuel Thina, who led a multidisciplinary campaign to end crimes in the area said motorists needed to keep in mind that a hotspot remained a hotspot even when things cooled down.
Some motorists, including truck drivers and owners of private vehicles, have been seen making stops in the notorious area, some even in the evening and at night.
He said: "criminals can always be watching and ready to take advantage of the situation so our message to our residents is to not think that the place is no longer a hotspot because we have managed to do away with the robberies, carjackings and murders.
"We really want out people to be safe and to understand that criminals can strike when they are unsuspecting or when they have become comfortable. We do not want a repeat of the crimes that occurred there and therefore we encourage our people to avoid stopping there and rather stop at a filling garage,"
He said Akasia police have been patrolling the area working with the Tshwane metro police and the community in the north of Tshwane. In fact, they launched a campaign looking at crimes on Wednesday, which includes continued monitoring of the area.
According to Tshwane District Police Commissioner Major-General Hilda Mohajane the only reason people should stop there should be a mechanical breakdown and in such situations, they must still call for help so that they do not find themselves in danger.
Mohajane recommended that motorists who often stopped to relieve themselves get into the habit of using a filling station ablution facilities.
The highway made headlines last year when motorists and tow truck drivers shut it down calling for police action to end crimes in the area after a series of victim testimonies sharing their ordeals at the hands of criminals trended.
They told stories of how criminals attacked them around the mountains even in the early hours of the morning. Some said they were hit with stones and dragged into the bushes where they would be robbed and left to crawl out to survive.
The police subsequently arrested eight foreign nationals and one South Africa in connection with the crimes.
Pretoria News