Security situation N2 motorway, Cape Town International Airport

N2 Cape Town International Airport
N2 Cape Town International Airport

Cape Town, South Africa – Attacks have become commonplace on the N2 motorway. Incidents have occurred on the Westbound and Eastbound sections of the N2, both inbound and outbound from Cape Town International Airport.

This was reported during a meeting held on July 16, 2014 setup by Helen Zille after receiving en email from Archie Bell, one of the victims of the attacks on the N2.

Archie Bell and Wesley Ford (CCM SAA) met with Minister Daniel Plato, the MEC for Safety and Security in the Western Cape and twelve members of his security cluster. Representatives from all the various Provincial and City of Cape Town departments were in attendance.

The South African Police (SAPS) were invited to the meeting by Minister Plato, but chose not to send a representative to the meeting.

During the meeting it was revealed that a fatality occurred when a male motorist, traveling alone on the N2 swerved to avoid large rocks that had been placed the highway and rolled his car. After surviving the accident he was pulled from the wreckage by four assailants and was brutally assaulted. He died later in ICU.

Some preventative measures were discussed at the meeting. These measures also include patrols by the SAPS, but sadly as previously mentioned no representatives of the SAPS departments were present at the meeting.

Below is one of the comments from the source website:

I am due to fly into Cape Town in the next month. Starting to feel nervous of all I am reading on facebook.

I am from New Zealand and this all sounds particularly scary and foreign to me, in particular the inability to solve the problem.

Considering finding another route or miss CT

If you can’t fly in safely and drive a hire car from the airport then how safe is the city??

There are a number of us, all in separate cars. The chances of one of us getting hurt is high. Shame on you all. Work together on a plan and implement it.

Travellers from first world countries are not properly warned about the crime rate and lawlessness in South Africa. Interesting observation in the comment above “…in particular the inability to solve the problem”. New Zealand is the third most peaceful country in the world according to Forbes.

Why take the risk in visiting South Africa at all?

Related:

The latest hijacking modus operandi in South Africa

SAA pilot escapes N2 attempted robbery

photo credit: Kyknoord via photopin cc

South Africa Travel – Travel Advisory