Cape Town danger areas

[wolver]

9 hours ago, Robbie Stewart said:

This morning riding from Seapoint towards Victoria drive as you take the turn by the bus stop to head up towards Main Road three "characters" were heading down the hill. The guy at the front saw me and lifted his hand to take a swing at me while he veered towards me. I made eye contact and sussed out his two buddies already starting to unclip and getting ready to transition into extreme violence mode. In my head, during that split second it took, I was able to dismount and grab the leader and either fling him head first into oncoming traffic or again head first through the passenger window of the closest parked car. Just as I decided to go into action mode and start dishing out the hurt he suddenly decided to let go and carried on down the hill. I finished my ride albeit with some close calls due to traffic and the wind over Chapman's trying to chuck me over the edge. Just another day in Cape Town.

Just to clarify… are you referring to the bus stop before turning left into Queens Road just after Strolla? 

[splat]

34 minutes ago, Thomo said:

I noticed that "tent city" was gone when I passed Green Point ... could account for what seemed like more than usual number of characters through Sea Point and Camps Bay.

And yes, that wind yesterday was interesting too. 😊

Sheriff cleared them out and then a fires broke out destroying whatever was left:

https://www.iol.co.za/capeargus/news/homeless-evictions-and-fires-sea-point-castle-tent-cities-burn-ffff50c6-04ee-4842-b4af-156ce3b1ac6a

 

[Robbie Stewart]

3 hours ago, wolver said:

Just to clarify… are you referring to the bus stop before turning left into Queens Road just after Strolla? 

Yes. X marks the spot

 

[Jono]

1 hour ago, Robbie Stewart said:

Yes. X marks the spot

 

Brazen. That area is rather busy on a Saturday morning.

[Robbie Stewart]

1 hour ago, Jono said:

Brazen. That area is rather busy on a Saturday morning.

Desperate times, desperate measures in guessing.

[DJR]

I would expect the whole of Sea Point and Green Point to become more of a security problem in the next few weeks and months. When the City evicted the illegal street people in green Point, a large percentage of them did not go to the shelters or the offered relocation site. They simply dispersed before the Sherrif moved in and they moved into the rest of the neighbourhood. Now there will be many single and small group encampments all over, just not one large tent and plastic town. The majority of them are just down and out people and mostly harmless, but the real criminals, muggers, robbers hide among them. So, beware. It will remain a problem until the neighbourhood watch harass them enough to move to other areas.........yes, the problem will not go away because there is currently no way to solve it, just to displace it somewhere else. Sad, but true.

[splat]

1 hour ago, DJR said:

I would expect the whole of Sea Point and Green Point to become more of a security problem in the next few weeks and months. When the City evicted the illegal street people in green Point, a large percentage of them did not go to the shelters or the offered relocation site. They simply dispersed before the Sherrif moved in and they moved into the rest of the neighbourhood. Now there will be many single and small group encampments all over, just not one large tent and plastic town. The majority of them are just down and out people and mostly harmless, but the real criminals, muggers, robbers hide among them. So, beware. It will remain a problem until the neighbourhood watch harass them enough to move to other areas.........yes, the problem will not go away because there is currently no way to solve it, just to displace it somewhere else. Sad, but true.

It seems like the CoCT did a blitz over the last few days. The Castle was also cleared (and also caught alight) and an area below Wynberg taxi rank (which was disrupted by gang related violence).
Lots of displaced and angry people all over the place now.

[DJR]

14 minutes ago, splat said:

It seems like the CoCT did a blitz over the last few days. The Castle was also cleared (and also caught alight) and an area below Wynberg taxi rank (which was disrupted by gang related violence).
Lots of displaced and angry people all over the place now.

Yes, close to where I live we had the same. Cardboard and plastic city broken up, lots of angry people everywhere and suddenly you have to keep a close eye and call the City Improvement District patrols to move people off your porch or your parking before they get permanent rights to live there, **** all over and create a fire hazard. Also, a sudden escalation of breakins into cars and theft of copper pipes, cast iron and water meters.

[cadenceblur]

2 hours ago, DJR said:

I would expect the whole of Sea Point and Green Point to become more of a security problem in the next few weeks and months. When the City evicted the illegal street people in green Point, a large percentage of them did not go to the shelters or the offered relocation site. They simply dispersed before the Sherrif moved in and they moved into the rest of the neighbourhood. Now there will be many single and small group encampments all over, just not one large tent and plastic town. The majority of them are just down and out people and mostly harmless, but the real criminals, muggers, robbers hide among them. So, beware. It will remain a problem until the neighbourhood watch harass them enough to move to other areas.........yes, the problem will not go away because there is currently no way to solve it, just to displace it somewhere else. Sad, but true.

Case in point I see a post re 2 bikes stolen in Sea Point from a garage..

[ChrisF]

40 minutes ago, splat said:

It seems like the CoCT did a blitz over the last few days. The Castle was also cleared (and also caught alight) and an area below Wynberg taxi rank (which was disrupted by gang related violence).
Lots of displaced and angry people all over the place now.

 

Like clock work .... cleaning the city the week before the CTCT ....

 

 

The IRONY .... the very inner city residents STOPPED the process to provide a 100 bed facility to help needy people get back on their feet.  The COCT is trying to provide these facilities, each the "local residents" stops the projects ....  Then these same "local residents" gets upset about people living on the streets ..... 

 

Until the route cause is addressed, the crime wont let up.

 

SURE - there will always be "some" crime, but if a significant portion of these people are afforded the opportunity to get back on their feet, then there can be a drop in the crime.

[Dylan Wyndham Jones]

Wife & her friend had an attempted mugging on Helshoogte pass at around 6:20 Sunday morning. There was a group of 4 of us, myself and another friend were slightly ahead from them.

It happened around the first corner to the right, when he jumped out the bush behind the railing about 5m away from with a gun demanding them to stop. Which she and her responded with a F that and sprinted as fast as they could. 

Another cyclist called the local armed response, but he was gone by then. She's a bit shaken still, but doing fine otherwise. 

[nonky]

19 minutes ago, ChrisF said:

 

Like clock work .... cleaning the city the week before the CTCT ....

 

 

The IRONY .... the very inner city residents STOPPED the process to provide a 100 bed facility to help needy people get back on their feet.  The COCT is trying to provide these facilities, each the "local residents" stops the projects ....  Then these same "local residents" gets upset about people living on the streets ..... 

 

Until the route cause is addressed, the crime wont let up.

 

SURE - there will always be "some" crime, but if a significant portion of these people are afforded the opportunity to get back on their feet, then there can be a drop in the crime.

Any facts to back that up?  As far as I am aware, the new 300-bed homeless shelter has been approved and the Haven Shelter increased in size.

This was a Court-approved eviction, so due process was followed.  The people in question do not want to be housed in a shelter or rehoused.

Source: 

https://www.capetownetc.com/news/citys-300-bed-safe-space-homeless-shelter-gets-green-light/

[ChrisF]

3 minutes ago, nonky said:

Any facts to back that up?  As far as I am aware, the new 300-bed homeless shelter has been approved and the Haven Shelter increased in size.

This was a Court-approved eviction, so due process was followed.  The people in question do not want to be housed in a shelter or rehoused.

Source: 

https://www.capetownetc.com/news/citys-300-bed-safe-space-homeless-shelter-gets-green-light/

 

Zonnebloem shelter - been in the newspapers a few months back.

 

One of the articles - https://www.news24.com/news24/community-newspaper/peoples-post/have-your-say-on-new-shelter-planned-for-district-six-20230620

 

 

YES, there are/were MANY of these projects !!  Sadly very few make it past the "public participation" phase.

 

 

 

EDIT : the term  "shelter" is often mis-used in media.  The Zonenbloem facility was earmarked as a rehabilitation centre.  A shelter with the sole purpose of getting people back on their feet, and helping them with basic skills.   This is totally different to the hot-meal-and-cot type facilities.

Edited February 26 by ChrisF

[Rapunzel]

On 2/17/2024 at 12:26 PM, RossTopher said:

Really says it all. 

Hopefully, with enough views and sharing, this gets to the right people and maybe sees some action. I doubt it, but a boy can dream. 

If it was just another south african having a moan, it's one thing, but coming from a tourist who comes here every year, puts money into our economy... Maybe, just maybe. 

So interestingly, the idea of sharing a story in the hope that somebody will take action is a common problem. 

Here's a simple solution to many of the problems with the cycle lane: you go here and log a service request so that it can be actioned.

Granted homelessness and criminal activity is not a simple fix but for many maintenance issues, they get resolved. I've logged 12 requests over the past 2 months (mowing, traffic light timing, dumping, potholes, street lights, ...) and they've been resolved. I sadly haven't been able to get to town for a number of weeks but I did log a request for the paving on the cycle lane at the exit into town (under the freeway), vegetation overgrowth as well as numerous patches of damaged or removed tar between the N1 bridge and town. The people responsible for maintenance don't ride bikes so they don't see the problems. We have to be their eyes.

[olmec]

4 hours ago, splat said:

Lots of displaced and angry people all over the place now

I think you're bang-on-the-money here.  

For example: a breakout of gang violence in the Bo-kaap: https://www.instagram.com/stories/thehumansnarrative/3311129197370107816?utm_source=ig_story_item_share&igsh=Znl3ZDZ1Mjg1cGpu

[Robbie Stewart]

9 hours ago, DJR said:

I would expect the whole of Sea Point and Green Point to become more of a security problem in the next few weeks and months. When the City evicted the illegal street people in green Point, a large percentage of them did not go to the shelters or the offered relocation site. They simply dispersed before the Sherrif moved in and they moved into the rest of the neighbourhood. Now there will be many single and small group encampments all over, just not one large tent and plastic town. The majority of them are just down and out people and mostly harmless, but the real criminals, muggers, robbers hide among them. So, beware. It will remain a problem until the neighbourhood watch harass them enough to move to other areas.........yes, the problem will not go away because there is currently no way to solve it, just to displace it somewhere else. Sad, but true.

On my return leg on Saturday I was caught in what was by then settled rainfall. I was heated from my ride so not too fussed. What caught my attention was when I was navigating the pavement in Seapoint (lack of pedestrians and cars driving like chops in the rain) and saw a homeless guy taking shelter from the rain under a bus shelter while bundled up in what little he wore and trying to sleep.

It made me realize how fortunate I am and how easily things could go pear-shaped, and what makes me any different to that poor soul also just trying to stay warm, and dry, and wondering where the next meal is coming from.