THE City of Cape Town has presented Kuilsriver residents with a proposal to end the protracted dispute over the erection of a security gate.
On Friday, residents held a picket to drive home concerns over safety and rising crime in the area. Kuilsriver and neighbouring Blackheath and Blue Downs have seen a spike in crime.
This includes a double murder at the neighbouring Summerville complex on September 16, a double murder-suicide along Old Nooiensfontein Road on September 25 and the kidnapping of Ukrainian woman Anichka Penev in Blackheath four days later.
Residents said a resolution on the security gate at Oxford Village was urgently needed.
Carrying placards which read "Hands off our gate" and "We need the gate to stay safe" sent a clear message to authorities.
The property owners installed the gate in December to safeguard their assets and lives after experiencing several burglaries, hijackings and robberies at gunpoint.
However, the City ordered them to demolish it by October 15 as it was installed without approval and did not comply with the Public Places and Prevention of Nuisances By-law.
"Dismantling the gate is not the solution. We are faced with escalating crime -- rapes, murders and hijackings. Our lives are at risk. The City needs to work with us to find a resolution," said one resident who only identified himself as Lubba.
The residents also installed security systems including telecoms, a CCTV camera and posted security guards at the entrance to the estate.
"The decision to install the gate was based solely on safety. We were easy targets for criminals. One family was robbed at gunpoint at their home in 2021. The parents were locked in their toilet while the criminals ransacked the home and loaded valuable goods in the couple's vehicle and drove off. We felt we didn't want to witness a killing before we could do something," said Lubba.
He added that residents in Watergate, Mitchells Plain had also erected similar security gates.
Summerville residents also joined the picket in solidarity after the murder of two young people in Dorado Street.
At the time, police said they were investigating circumstances surrounding the incident.
A resident, who did not want to be identified, said had the City not dismantled a security gate that was installed by developers at the time of the construction, the incident would have possibly been prevented.
"When I moved in around 2014 I was told that a security gate that was left by developers had just been taken down. In the absence of the security gate we feel vulnerable as residents. There have been hijackings, robberies and now the double murders.
"There's also a well-known drug dealer around and outsiders have easy access not only to his house but also to other properties (where they could) commit crime," he said.
In a communiqué to the Oxford Village committee, the City said a possible resolution would be an urgent application by the community for the City to approve access control over the road where the gate was installed.
"Should such an application be approved by the City and or council, then whatever type of access control is approved, would then be lawful. Such approval will have conditions attached to it and render the access control balanced between the needs of the community to prevent crime and the right of all our citizens to freedom of movement," read the communiqué.
It further noted that the council might agree to some deviations including purchasing the road or establishing a homeowner’s association or that the residents might retain the gate provided that the community supported the application and that the crime in the area was of sufficiently compelling frequency that access control was warranted.
The residents were given until October 14 to submit the application.
Spokesperson Priya Reddy, said the matter had not been concluded but the City was engaging with the residents.
"The City hopes to assist the residents in finding an amicable solution," said Reddy.