The Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) welcomes the City of Cape Town’s plan to erect a security wall along the N2 as a means to ensure motorists’ safety.
It is, however, regrettable that so much time, and lives, was lost before decisive action was taken. It has been a problem for years, and the Freedom Front Plus repeatedly called for action this year.
The wall is not a sustainable long-term solution, though, and criminals will soon find ways to circumvent it. It does, however, demonstrate that the City is finally heeding calls to act.
The only effective way to properly secure the N2 is through constant and visible policing, together with other tools such as cameras.
A security wall will certainly help, but without a strong law-enforcement presence, motorists remain vulnerable.
The Freedom Front Plus insists that the City, together with SANRAL and the national government, immediately prioritise practical steps.
Such steps would include repairing all damaged highway fencing and reactivating faulty CCTV cameras; permanently deploying armed patrols at the six high-risk pedestrian bridges; rolling out youth training programmes in Philippi, Nyanga and Crossroads to address the root causes of crime; and integrating real-time incident reporting between the Cape Town Metro Police, SANRAL and the public via the i-TRAFFIC app.
It would be unfair to expect the City to cover all the costs of erecting the wall.
SANRAL, which receives the largest portion of the budget earmarked for securing national roads, should either cover the full cost or make a substantial contribution.
The Freedom Front Plus also condemns the latest attack on the N2 near the Borcherds Quarry off-ramp in which a mother and her 11-year-old son were targeted on Saturday afternoon.
This incident – described by a motorist on social media and later confirmed by the family to the Freedom Front Plus – underscores the gravity of the situation.
The Freedom Front Plus will keep the pressure on to ensure taxpayers’ money is spent wisely, and that crime on the N2 is addressed effectively and sustainably – not only with concrete, but also with boots on the ground.
