Boom gates essential - Leon

2006-01-17 16:45

Johannesburg - People should be allowed to use boom or electric gates to protect themselves from crime which remains a national crisis, said Democratic Alliance leader Tony Leon on Tuesday.

He said the DA supported the use of boom gates, where appropriate, and wanted a flexible approach to electric gates which were the only alternative for up to one-third of communities applying for road closures.

"Certainly in culs-de-sac, electric gates should be allowed due to cost constraints.

"The cost of 24-hour security guards is often a prohibitively costly alternative," said Leon.

He was addressing residents who live in a cul-de-sac at Storms Place in Gallo Manor.

They told him that for 6½ years they had a motorised security gate at the entrance to their street.

"Before, there had been car hijackings, assaults, and dozens of break-ins of houses and cars. With the gate, there were none," Leon said.

Costly security guards

In 2003, when the Johannesburg metro passed a new policy to regulate boom gates and street closures, the residents applied for permission to close their street.

They spent R7 000 on consultants and collected affidavits in favour of the road closure.

Leon said their application was approved with the proviso that they employed a 24-hour security guard at a cost of R15 000 a month (R1 200 a family).

He said because the residents could not afford the cost, they had to remove the gate's motor.

"Within weeks, safety on the street had deteriorated. Strangers entered various properties without permission, and shots were fired in some cases.

"One home's plate-glass door was smashed in a housebreaking incident," said Leon.

Family members had started moving out the area.

Failed to keep promise

Leon said although there had been a decrease in several categories of crime in recent years, the government had failed to meet its own target of reducing contact crimes such as murder, rape and assault by 7% to 10% a year.

Almost 20 000 South Africans were murdered every year - one every 30 minutes.

He said the Johannesburg metro had failed to keep a promise to residents that it would review its policy on road closures and boom gates every year.

"Citizens must be allowed to protect themselves. That is what the DA is fighting for," said Leon.

- SAPA