Women driving in vehicles alone have been targeted at the Sonstraal road N1 Turnoff in Drakenstein Municipality. Assaults by culprits, who throw stones through windshields of innocent female drivers, with the obvious attempt to cause an accident and to rob their victims, is an ongoing problem.
What are the authorities, who have been informed numerous times already, going to do about it?
Is the lack of their response an indication that they find the lawlessness acceptable?
On 17 July 2021, another female driver got attacked by a culprit on the Sonstraal bridge turnoff towards the N1. At around 18.00 a woman saw a man run for her vehicle and throw a stone or object onto the front windshield, causing a huge bang and smashing the window.
Luckily she reacted positively and did not lose control. Heavily shocked, she sped away and called DFW for help. A search was conducted by DFW teams, but the culprit got away. The man was identified and a case will be made.
Upon reporting the incident on the DFW private and closed member network, it appeared that quite a number of similar incidents with female drivers alone, on the same spot and also targeted with rocks, had taken place in the last few weeks.
The DFW fire and rescue group had reported these incidents to the authorities of both Municipality and Police and also informed them about the ever growing number of illegal fruit sellers and prostitutes in the same area.
Unfortunately, nothing has come of it and although the DFW and their security Partners are most willing to act and assist, unfortunately and regrettably the legal mandate and legalities to act under the Municipal By-laws are still not in place.
The DFW even wrote an open letter to the Mayor, which got published in the Paarl Post, with the request of his personal assistance, but so far to no avail.
The DFW suggested to officially appoint heads of neighborhood and farm watches as Auxiliary Bylaw officers, with a legal mandate in certain areas of the by-laws, to act not in their private capacity, but as representatives of the Drakenstein Municipality and being enabled to write a fine or give an official warning.
As long as this is not in place, a neighborhood watch can only be the eyes and ears of the police or municipality and they cannot act, without endangering themselves to be personal liable for acting without legal authority.
In a perfect society all of the above would not be necessary, but we all can see what is happening and where the good and willing communities find themselves in and how they are under a direct threat.
Read the original article on Drakenstein Farm Watch
