The authorities are failing to act against growing vagrancy,

• Author: Karen Watkins karen.watkins@inl.co.za
• Published date: 18 November 2021
• Publication title: Constantiaberg Bulletin

Last week, ward councillors Emile Langenhoven and Eddie Andrews handed a memorandum to Diep River police on behalf of the Gabriel Road Area Project Association (GRAPA), a civic group that has red-flagged the situation at the Gabriel Road traffic circle.

Tents started popping up on the municipal land at the beginning of lockdown, and more have been pitched in the past two weeks, according to Plumstead residents Sonje and Adodo Maizungue who returned to South Africa one year ago from Togo.

Most of the residents who signed the memorandum live in Courtney Mansions, in Bardia Road.

Louis Fourie, who owns one of these flats, said he had lost his tenants in August after the squatters had thrown a brick at them.

He has since moved into the vacated flat himself but said he had not had a night's sleep because the squatters screamed and fought late at night.

He also accused them of lighting fires that gave off a toxic-smelling smoke, using a wall next to the block as a toilet, and throwing rocks against a pre-cast concrete wall, breaking one of its panels.

He had tried calling the Diep River police station during a sleepless night last week, but no one had answered the phone, and when he had called 10111 and City Law Enforcement he had been given reference numbers and told that vehicles would be sent, but they had never arrived, he said.

“There are signs on the land – no camping, no fires. Whose responsibility is it to arrest them?”

Linda Cilliers said she was also unable to sleep and was developing asthma because of toxic fumes from the squatter’s fires. She also could not walk to the nearby pet shop without being harassed, she said.

Lesley Coetzee lives on the second floor of the block and runs a hairdressing business from home. Her customers used to park on the land now used by the squatters, but she said they now parked on the block’s premises to avoid being harassed by beggars.

Ms Coetzee said she had a “hacking cough” from noxious fumes and had taped up all her windows.

Cynthia Hepner, 87, who lives across the road from the block, said a man from the camp had recently thrown a brick at her but it had missed. The squatters were there because people drove past and gave them money, clothes, food and blankets, she said.

After the handover of the memorandum on Thursday November 11, the camp appeared deserted, but, on Tuesday, a small child ran around the tents and Megan Mushfieldt, of Lavender Hill, emerged from one of them.

She said they used only a small piece of...