Ottery residents mind the gap

A petition that was started nearly three years ago to close the infamous gap in Ottery Gardens has yet again become an issue of contention.

Some frustrated residents are pleading with the City of Cape Town to close the thoroughfare as they say it has become a crime hotspot, while others feel it is an important link for pedestrians.

The petition, which was started in August 2021, has over 2300 signatures and states that the majority of Ottery Gardens want the space between Woodlands and Applemist roads to be closed and the canal fenced off for their safety.

Resident Nabeelah Majiet said it is a hotspot for crime.

“Why are we not being heard? Is it democratically correct to ignore the cries of rate-paying residents who fear for their lives and what do you want us to do, just stand by and watch as our neighbours and ourselves get robbed and attacked while constantly living in fear?”

Ms Majiet said residents can't walk to the shops in the next road because there is a high risk of being robbed by criminals emerging from the thoroughfare.

One of the residents, who spoke to Southern Mail on condition of anonymity as he feared for his safety, said he and his family have resorted to barricading themselves in their property and parking their cars at a different location.

“My cars have been broken into so many times that I lost count because there are always people in my yard trying to steal things. There are always robberies and people coming through the gap to steal or rob.

“I am at my wits’ end and I am not by the financial means to move away,” said the frustrated man.

However, there are also residents who do not support the closure of the gap.

Resident June De Vries said it is an important thoroughfare.

“We take our grandchildren to school and people use the thoroughfare to get around Ottery, to the taxi, shop or other places. it would make it very difficult, especially for the elderly who would have to walk a lot further,” said Ms De Vries.

According to Ottery community leader Keith Blake, the “highly controversial gap has become a daily point of discussion.”

The latest stabbing and robbery occurred on Saturday June 15 and the incident had caused, “a magnitude of fear and concerns”.

However, when Southern Mail contacted Lansdowne police about the stabbing incident, they no record of it.

Mr Blake said at first he was against the gap being closed as it would cause an inconvenience to children and the elderly who use it as a short-cut.

He said he asked the City to install cameras but this did not happen and how he wants them to close the gap.

Mr Blake said there is an only slightly longer route for pedestrians which exits into Becot Road, in Ottery.

In correspondence with Mayoral committee member for safety and security JP Smith’s office, residents were told that the department and Sub-council 18 had tried to find a solution to the problem for years.

Mr Smith had patrolled the area in April with Lansdowne and Ottery Neighbourhood Watch and the closing of the thoroughfare was on the topic of concerns.

Rob Quintas, Mayoral committee member for urban mobility, said the department of Roads Infrastructure Management (RIM) is aware of the request to close off the gap due to criminal activities and the department will normally only consider fencing off areas in the interest of road user safety and not due to criminal activity. He also added that there had not been any formal application to close or fence off the gap.

“The department’s core function is to ensure accessibility and mobility for all road users. This location is not considered part of the road reserve. The City did however remove the ‘bridge’ in the vicinity of Applemist Road and Woodlands Road to prevent the crossing over movement from one side to the other. This was done at the request of the Sub-council and was completed in February.”

Mr Quintas said the City layout aims to be as inclusive as possible and to allow access to all facilities and amenities.

“Unfortunately, criminals use the access routes for their criminal activities and it is impossible to fence off all public access routes as these routes’ primary function is to facilitate mobility and access.”

He said criminals make use of all avenues to access specific target points and fencing public access off does not solve the problem.

“Apart from the high capital cost, continuous vandalism puts a massive burden on the ratepayers and it is not sustainable to gate off individual communities at the expense of communities’ accessibility to amenities. Fences are vandalised and stolen across the city,” said Mr Quintas.

James Vos, the Mayoral committee member for economic growth, said the City’s Property Transaction Department does not have a record of any application to close the gap and encouraged residents to contact the department to arrange a pre-consultation to discuss the feasibility of their proposed application.

“The time-frames for processing such requests vary, depending on various factors such as the type of land in question, stakeholders that need to be consulted and the public participation process that needs to be followed,” said Mr Vos.

Mr Smith confirmed his attendance at the patrol in April and agreed to raise the matter again through the correct channels and explore if there is a way to close the thoroughfare.