Bredasdorp: Small town, big problems
2013-02-11 21:38
Cape Town - Boredom linked to a rampant drug problem has
made the rural Western Cape town of Bredasdorp unsafe, some residents said on
Monday.
Neville Farao, 25, a part-time DJ in the area, where a
teen was recently raped and killed, said most youths visited clubs to keep
themselves entertained.
Many used tik, marijuana and alcohol.
"There's not a lot to do here because there's not a
lot of parks. Most kids just sit at home, and there's no nice entertainment
there," he said.
Farao said that when he was a teenager in the town, he
had kept out of trouble by joining a dance "crew".
Such dance troupes were rarely seen anymore.
Waiter Dario King, 25, agreed there was a lack of
positive activities for young people on weekends.
"There is not a lot of integration between white and
coloured kids here.
"With the coloured community, you often find parents
don't support their children in doing something good. They just give them money
and don't ask where it goes."
King, who has lived in the area most of his life, said
over half of his friends had turned to tik, a drug known to incite violence and
aggression.
"That is why I feel unsafe here. Tik made them learn
to steal, break into cars, stab each other. When I walk along the road, they
often ask me for money. Now I don't carry money with me," he said.
The town's Recreation Street has little in the way of
parks and sports centres, but has several bottle stores and taverns.
Almost two weeks ago, 17-year-old Anene Booysen was
gang-raped and disembowelled after visiting a club.
She was found, barely alive, at the Asla construction
site where she worked, not far from her RDP home, but died later in hospital.
On Monday, a small cross and flowers were the only
reminder of the gruesome act in the largely barren landscape of beige and
pastel RDP houses scattered along Ou Meule Street.
The houses are largely hidden from the town by huge silos
containing grain, one of the commodities on which the town survives.
Arrests made
Three men were arrested in connection with Booysen's rape
and murder, but one was later released due to lack of evidence.
Johannes Kana, a thin 21-year-old with tattoos, appeared
in the Bredasdorp Magistrate's Court on Monday, with a towel covering his face.
His case was rolled over to Tuesday, when he will appear
with his alleged accomplice, 22-year-old Jonathan Davids.
Both are being kept in custody.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Western Cape spokesperson
Eric Ntabazalila said the case would eventually reach the high court, where
stiffer sentences are imposed.
"It's a high court matter, but like we've been done
before, I'm sure we'll end up bringing the high court here to Bredasdorp to
ensure that victims and their families have equal access to the court."
He said the State would oppose any bail applications.
"This was a very gruesome murder and as the NPA we
prioritise rape cases and all abuse against women and children."
Ntabazalila said courts in the province dealt with as
many as 30 rape cases a week.
According to police statistics, sexual crimes in
Bredasdorp have more than doubled in the past three years: From 27 cases in
2009/10; to 60 cases in 2011/12.
Drug-related crime is also on a three-year high.
No cases of illegal possession of a firearm and
ammunition were reported in 2009/10.
Between April 2011 and March last year, 16 related cases
were opened in the town.
- SAPA
