Kenilworth residents have raised concerns over the prevalence of crime and substance abuse in the area, as brazen prostitution, drug use and physical attacks in broad daylight have left the community living in fear.
While police declined to comment on the general concerns of the community, residents unanimously shared the sentiment that rampant sex, drugs and crime have turned Kenilworth into a suburb in decline.
“I’ve been living here for 20-odd years and it’s never been like this,” said one resident, asking not to be named. “Litter in general is bad enough but it’s what is being tossed in the streets that really upsets me.”
“You can’t even walk to the shops without tripping over needles and used condoms on the pavement. It’s not only disgusting, it’s downright unsafe.”
Fear of contracting disease is not the only concern in the community, where prostitution and open drug use are commonplace.
“The other day, I was walking down Main Road when I saw a guy injecting himself, out in the open, in broad daylight.”
“I can’t say for certain it was drugs but I’m quite sure it wasn’t insulin.”
“I also see prostitutes standing on street corners every time I go out in public. Nothing seems to be done about it.”
As he crossed the Metrorail tracks at Kenilworth Station, Sean de Bruin shared a similar sentiment. “I walk past here every day and they always greet me,” he said, gesturing to a group of sex workers standing in the shade near the crossing. “They’re always friendly but I am a bit concerned about it.”
“It’s no secret that drugs and prostitution are a problem in Kenilworth but what makes it so much worse are the crimes that come along with these social issues.”
De Bruin listed a number of serious incidents that he was aware of, many of which seemed to have been done with little concern for repercussions.
“Not so long ago, a woman was stabbed at a local coffee shop at 2 o’clock in the afternoon.”
“They also tried to hijack a friend of mine in Kenilworth, just the other day.”
“Last year, two guys came into our complex and put a knife to someone’s throat. That was at lunchtime on a Sunday, so there were plenty of people around.”
“They still managed to get away with a wallet and cellphone and nothing was ever heard from them again.”
“You can’t help but suspect that there is a connection between all the undesirable elements in Kenilworth and the violent crimes that are committed so brazenly. The two do generally go hand-in-hand.”
Like many others in the neighbourhood, another (asked to remain anonymous) Kenilworth resident recently nearly fell victim to crime in an apparent hijacking attempt at a local garage in a busy part of the suburb.
“My partner had run into the shop to get a juice after gym,” she recalled. “Our vehicle has a sensor that sets off the alarm if movement is detected from inside and the keys aren’t in the car.”
“He took the keys out of the ignition and tossed them onto my lap. I forgot to lock the doors.”
“I could see my partner through the windscreen and shopfront windows.”
“I was reading an article on my phone when I heard the door open. I thought it was my partner, but a stranger was sitting in the driver’s seat.”
“I was not physically harmed. The chancer sprinted into the night when I started screaming for help.”
“I reckon what happened was opportunistic, but it still speaks to the ‘sitting duck’ strategy.”
Also read: New hijacking trend in South Africa: as convenient as fast food
A shop owner off Main Road agreed that drugs and crime were a major concern in the area but added that poverty and homelessness were the real issues.
“It’s a recipe for disaster,” he said. “People are poor, desperate, hungry and sick. I was an alcoholic for many years and if there is one thing I know it’s that addiction isn’t a crime. It’s a disease. I see it every day around here.”
“Every morning I have to climb over a homeless person just to get through the front door. I can’t say it’s not a problem but I also can’t help but feel sorry for him.”
“We’re all going through tough times.”
Meanwhile, “Vivienne,” a Zimbabwean sex worker, admitted that drugs played a significant part in their lives.
However, they added that this did not make them violent criminals or dishonest people but rather victims of circumstance.
“Nobody dreams of getting into this line of work when they are a child,” they said. “I came here after COVID, only to find that there was no work.”
“It’s a tough life but it does mean there is always money coming in.”
“I don’t rob and steal. I’m never violent and I don’t throw rubbish and condoms around. I’m an honest person who wants to make an honest living. That’s exactly what I’m doing.”
“I’m not lying or deceiving anyone. What you see is what you get. I’m just as afraid of being raped or murdered as anyone else around here.”
“The only difference is that I have absolutely zero chance of getting any help from the police when I do.”
“What I’m doing might be illegal but the only thing making me a criminal is the law.”
“All I want to do is have a life and look after myself.”
In response to a media enquiry regarding crime in the area, along with the impact of homelessness, prostitution and drugs, as well as queries regarding what action was being taken to address the concerns of residents, the police said that answering these questions was not part of their mandate.
“The nature of the enquiry bears no relevance to the mandate of the office which is to respond to reported matters, ” read a statement issued by the SAPS media office in the Western Cape. “This office is in no position to share crime patterns and statistics, nor the operational plans as cited in your enquiry.”
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