Schaapkraal community demands solutions for escalating vagrant encampment crisis

Residents and property owners of Schaapkral have urgently petitioned for immediate action regarding a growing informal vagrant encampment at the main community entrance.

Community leaders have reported that residents have become victims of crime, often experiencing theft and robbery. They are calling on authorities to provide low-cost housing solutions for the informal sector, expressing frustration over perceived empty promises made post-elections.

The location in question is at the corner of Boundary and Schaap Road. Local ward councillor Elton Jansen stated that he has been made aware of the situation and has assigned Metro Officers and Neighbourhood Safety Officers (NSOs) to conduct regular patrols at the hotspot.

“On December 11, last year, I took the ward Metro Officers to this hotspot as it was raised by a resident,” said Jansen.

“I have requested that our NSOs conduct daily routine checks. We reported the illegal makeshift structures on the day we patrolled the area, and I will follow up to ensure they are removed urgently.”

The petition, titled “Schaapkraal Community Call to Address Vagrant Camp at the Corner of Boundary and Schaap Road,” was initiated by Zakariyah Philander, a concerned resident representing the community. Philander stated that they are calling for immediate and decisive action to address a critical and escalating issue at one of the main entrances to their community.

“A persistent and growing informal gathering of vagrants has established itself at the primary entrance road to our area,” said Philander. “This situation poses a severe threat to our community’s safety, well-being, and property values, and we fear it is on the verge of spiralling into a permanent, unmanaged squatter camp.”

Philander outlined several grave concerns:

1. Public Safety and Criminal Threat: The gathering's location raises alarm that it may be used by criminal elements to surveil residents and track routines, creating fear along this essential route.
2. Direct Risk to Children and Families: This entry path for families, including children going to school, presents an unacceptable safety risk due to the unstable encampment's presence.
3. Health, Sanitation, and Environmental Degradation: The site is rapidly becoming an unsanitary public health hazard and an eyesore due to accumulating waste, violating municipal health codes.
4. Economic and Property Value Erosion: The entrenched problem at the neighbourhood entrance threatens residents' property investments, signalling neglect and discouraging buyers.

Philander also mentioned how this situation has affected property rates and investments: “We have chosen to live in and invest in Schaapkraal, and we pay our taxes with the expectation of fundamental municipal services, including the maintenance of public order, safety, and cleanliness in shared spaces.”

“Therefore, we formally demand that our Councillor, in collaboration with relevant city departments, take immediate action to dismantle and clean up the unauthorised encampment at the main entrance to Schaapkraal.” Philander also called for increased patrols by law enforcement and municipal by-law officers in this specific area to prevent re-establishment.

“Coordinate with social service agencies to offer appropriate outreach and support to those individuals, addressing the human element while prioritising community safety,” she added. “Implement and enforce all relevant bylaws regarding loitering, trespassing, public nuisance, and sanitation at this location.

"Restore and regularly maintain the area to a clean, safe, and welcoming state befitting a community entrance. We seek a lasting solution, not a temporary dispersal. Our community’s safety, health, and future prosperity depend on it.”

In response to the demands and queries from the Cape Argus, the City of Cape Town stated that it would need time to provide comments: The City is looking into the particulars of the matter and will revert in due course."

Riyad Isaac, a resident and Chairperson of the Schaapkraal Ratepayers Association, expressed his support for the petition: “As Chairperson of the Schaapkraal Ratepayers Association, we have had several meetings with the Ward Councillor regarding safety issues in the area. A main contributor to safety concerns are the informal settlements, namely Egoli and Jim Se Bos. The City cannot keep hiding behind the fact that these settlements are on private property. Those people also deserve to live in dignity.”

Isaac questioned why the City has not provided housing to solve the crisis, citing that the community has become victims of crime, including vehicle theft.

“Why doesn't the City provide low-cost housing or relocate them to a more secure area?” he added. “We have highlighted that there are alleged criminals living within that space, and crime is on the increase. Residents feel hopeless and helpless at times.”

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