The recent murder of a 64-year-old woman along Jakes Gerwel Drive, in an apparent robbery, has caused outrage over supposed unheard calls for increased safety.
The woman, identified as Karin van Aardt from Nelspruit, was with her husband as they drove toward the N2 last Friday. Police say reports suggest that the pair was caught in traffic on the corner of Jakkelsvlei Avenue and Jakes Gerwel Drive, when they were accosted by an unknown man trying to rob them.
Western Cape police spokesperson, Sergeant Wesley Twigg, said the man then stabbed van Aardt.
“The victim sustained stab wounds to the chest and was taken to a medical facility for treatment where she later died. The motive for the attack is robbery. The suspect fled the scene and is yet to be arrested.”
According to reports, the woman and her husband were en route to the West Coast from the local airport, at the time of the incident. A murder is being investigated.
The leader of the Freedom Front Plus, Dr. Corné Mulder, said this incident is proof that authorities are “turning a blind eye instead of taking decisive action”.
Mulder added that the incident follows weeks after it called on the City of Cape Town, the Western Cape Government, the South African National Roads Agency and the police to figure out a plan for them to collectively combat ongoing crime and violence on roads around the airport precinct, especially the N2. But Mulder said nothing has happened since.
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“The Freedom Front Plus even put forward practical and implementable proposals for preventive action, such as repairing damaged highway fencing, reactivating broken CCTV cameras and deploying permanent armed patrols at high-risk areas – including the very spot where Mrs Van Aardt was brutally murdered. Three weeks later, nothing has happened. No acknowledgement that a problem exists. No indication that notice was taken of the party’s call for action. No plan, no effort was made. Just silence,” said Mulder in a statement.
Mulder warns that there would be continued attacks, if related problems, such as broken fences and unguarded bridges, are not swiftly addressed.
“It is not normal. It is wrong; and the time has come to take serious and fierce action. No punishment is too severe when it comes to protecting peace-loving, law-abiding citizens.”
Meanwhile, Bonteheuwel ward councillor, Angus Mckenzie, sought to clarify that the incident did not occur within his ward and rather in neighbouring Langa.
“The perpetrators of smash and grabbing on Jakes Gerwel Drive is not Bonteheuwel, it’s never been Bonteheuwel, and it will never be Bonteheuwel… I want to appeal to the people of Langa: it cannot be said that you don’t know who these perpetrators are, it cannot be said you don’t who the people in your community is that is doing this stuff.”
