High incidents of vagrants in Roodepoort
STRUBEN’S VALLEY – Residents initiated clean-up campaigns to keep the suburbs clean and free from vagrants.
Loitering in public spaces that sometimes leads to the pollution of suburbs and not complying with bylaws, is synonymous to vagrancy.
Residents from various suburbs initiated clean-up campaigns in the areas that were allegedly littered by vagrants.
Here are some of the incidents that were reported by the Roodepoort Northsider, during the course of the year.
On 11 April, SRT Security Services initiated a clean-up along Hendrik Potgieter Road.
Little Falls Struben’s Valley Community Forum (Lifco), Realty Concepts and Remax Properties and community members joined in and assisted in the clean-up.
Residents’ aim was to rid the perimeter walls of Almond Rock Street of overgrown shrubbery where vagrants were sleeping.
Moving to Little Falls in July, 21 residents complained that the site occupied by vagrants at Cascades Road pose threats to the residents of Parklands and Parklands Manor Residential Estates.
The clean-up was done at the mountain area from Christiaan de Wet Road to Ribbon Avenue in Little falls on 31 July. Copper cables, several broken computers, wallets, household goods and children’s toys were among some of the items that were found by SRT Security Services during a ‘mountain sweep’.
As the problem of vagrants loitering open spaces escalated, residents committed to finding a solution.
At Sector 3 Community Policing Forum (CPF) meeting held on 12 August, they discussed the issue of vagrants found on open land.
The commitment was done in an effort to keep suburbs clean from the vagrants.
On 7 September residents of Wilgeheuwel complained that vagrants were allegedly committing crimes near their residential complex.
A resident alleged that he was chased and stones were thrown at him by vagrants – who occupy Florin Road Park behind Riverview Shopping Centre.
