Bonteheuwel's smash-and-grab menace

Yet another death related to smash-and-grabs along Jakes Gerwel has highlighted the dangers faced by adjacent communities.

In the latest incident on April 1, one suspect was left dead.

ActionSAs provincial chairperson, Dereleen James, posted about it, showing an image of the suspect lying along the side of the road. 

“Lord, thank you for your grace and mercy.  While driving home, a terrible incident occurred almost right in front of us. Here lies the lifeless body of a young boy who was shot and killed on Jakes Gerwel Drive after a smash-and-grab incident.

“As he ran into the open field, the motorist opened fire. Response from community, ‘Is reg so’. Reaction from the kids, they continued playing around the body. Response from law enforcement, this happens daily on this strip. Is this really our new norm?”

Bonteheuwel ward councillor, Angus McKenzie, responded to James at the weekend, stating such incidents have been the norm for years.

“Dereleen James, now you ask if this is our ‘new norm’. For those of us who live, work and travel through the Cape Flats every day, this has been the norm for years.

“Motorists are being targeted. Windows smashed. Women and families were traumatised. People driving that stretch of Jakes Gerwel Drive in fear every single day,” McKenzie said.

“You sit on the Police Portfolio Committee, the very body meant to hold SAPS accountable for policing and crime prevention. Smash-and-grab incidents fall squarely under SAPS policing responsibilities. Yet this strip of road has been terrorised by criminals for years, while communities have been crying out for help.

“Where has the outrage been then? What makes your post even more concerning is that instead of directing your frustration at the system that has failed our communities, you choose to judge the reaction of the very people who have been living with this reality for years,” McKenzie said.

SAPS spokesperson Wesley Twigg said Bishop Lavis police are investigating the murder case of a 26-year-old man after a shooting incident occurred on the corner of Jakes Gerwel Drive and Jakkalsvlei Avenue, Bonteheuwel.

“Police members attended to a complaint of a shooting, and upon arrival on the scene, they found the victim, who sustained gunshot wounds to his body. The victim was declared deceased on the scene by medical personnel. 

“The circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation, and no arrests have been made yet,” Twigg said.

Anyone with any information about these incidents can contact Crime Stop on 08600 10111 or use the mobile application MySAPS anonymously.

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Cape Argus