Camps Bay and Clifton Ratepayers’ Association
Claremont post office, now Clifton Beach?
The loss of life and stabbing incident at Clifton 3rd Beach call for urgent action.
The CBCRA on behalf of our community expresses its deepest condolences to the family and friends of promising 18-year-old, first year University of Cape Town student, Cebo Mhleli Mbatha who tragically died on Saturday September 28.
Violent criminals stabbed him to death and injured his fellow student in a robbery and traumatised his friends who went to the beach.
The loss of Mr Mbatha’s life is devastating to the University of Cape Town, the alma mater of many residents of this area, our community and to all beach-goers who seek to enjoy the natural beauty of our area, a prime tourism magnet and globally known, spectacular Blue Flag beaches.
We request that the Western Cape government and the City of Cape Town take immediate steps to expand Metro police services and to confront unlawful, criminal and anti-social behaviour increasingly evident, especially during summer time on the beaches.
With the recent murder of Uyinene Mrwetyana at a post office and the continuous escalation of violence directed towards women and children in our country and in our city, we are deeply mindful of the urgent imperative for proactive, concrete measures to restore personal safety as a basic human right.
The CBCRA is committed to working with all role-players in an attempt to bring safety – and sanity – back to this area and to greater Cape Town.
Specific issues that the CBCRA believe need addressing are:
The illegal sale and consumption of alcohol and drugs on the beach.
Better street lighting at the entrances to the beaches along 1st Beach to 4th Beach is needed as a matter of urgency.
Illegal car guards who disrupt traffic flow along Victoria Road and at The Ridge and who demand payment from visitors to the beaches must be arrested in accordance with the municipal and traffic laws.
During season, Metro police should have high visibility stations at the entrances to the beaches with mobile police stations manned 24/7. The single, poorly marked Metro police office at Maiden’s Cove is not accessible to most beach visitors to the area.
Better visibility and feet on the sand will aid safer beaches for all.
On December 23 2018 the incident on Clifton Beach involving a private security firm and metro police highlighted the conflicting roles of private security firms and understaffed Metro police attempting to ensure a safer beach for all.
We request that the City and Province ensure that Metro police is better staffed and equipped to deal with public safety issues.
TMNP closes Tafelberg Road and Signal Hill Drive at certain times – is it not time that the City implements the same safety measures at the Peninsula beaches where illegal marauding has resulted in alleged sexual and other assaults?
Deployment of data-led technology during season will assist in creating safer beaches and we ask that the Metro police be provided with drones to monitor the beach areas.
We request that authorities meet with the Metro police and all local stakeholders, especially the Camps Bay Community Police Forum and the Camps Bay Community Safety Initiative, soonest, to discuss a seasonal action plan to promote safe beaches for all.
