Pretoria - On May 29 , a jogger in Centurion was brutally attacked by criminals on Ruimte Road while doing his routine workout in the streets.
His assailants stabbed him multiple times and robbed him of his mobile phone and a pair of running shoes. He was left helpless and had to be airlifted to hospital.
The Pretoria News was told that the jogger, who is still traumatised by the incident, had refused to speak publicly about his ordeal.
The heart-rending story of the jogger was one of the incidents highlighted during an anti-crime protest led by the cycling and running community of Pretoria and the greater Centurion.
Tshwane's MMC for Community Safety Grandi Theunissen addresses a group of cyclists and joggers outside Tshwane House. The anti-crime protest was led by the cycling and running community of Pretoria and Centurion. @IOL @CityTshwane #Jogging #Joggers #Cycling #Cycle @ComradesRace pic.twitter.com/u7Q4QrRqN5
Protesters marched in Pretoria, where they handed over a memorandum of demands to the SAPS and Tshwane’s Community Safety MMC Grandi Theunissen.
Of chief concern was the growing incidents of crime perpetrated against runners and cyclists in the last couple of months.
Muggings, bike hijackings, cellphone snatching and incidents of runners or cyclists being hit by vehicles to disarm them and hijack them at knife or gunpoint were among the common crimes constantly affecting them.
Speaking on behalf of protesters, Phillip Ralehlaka, said: “We are also concerned about the lack of regard and courtesy by South African motorists for runners and cyclists on the road. There have been a few notable incidents where runners and cyclists have either been critically injured and or brutally killed at the hands of vehicle operators on the road.”
Protesters vowed not to just sit and watch while there were some people who continued to unleash an onslaught against them while they were “trying to live their lives healthy or to commute”.
Among their demands was to have increased police visibility at all crime hotspots.
“It has been proven time and again that police visibility is a huge crime deterrent. We request police patrols at crime hotspots between 05:00 – 09:00 and 17:00 – 19:00,” they said in a memorandum.
Ralehlaka said cyclists and runners demanded that local community police forums must be empowered with training and resources in order to assist the police and security.
They also wanted the police to investigate the previous cases reported to them and arrest criminals. They also gave the police an ultimatum to give them feedback by July 17 2022.
At Tshwane House, protesters raised with the municipality issues of poor service delivery and faulty infrastructure.
According to them, lack of street lights maintenance was a contributing factor to crimes as criminals often lurk in the dark and ambush unsuspecting victims.
Ralehlaka said: “We believe the fixing and maintenance of street lights will assist in reducing these crimes,” they said.
They said some crimes affecting them occurred when cyclists were stuck after hitting a pothole. “Good roads mean cyclists are always on the move.”
He called on the city to embark on the cutting of grass and bush on the roadside.
“Most of the criminals use the bush to hide and prey on their victims, therefore de-bushing and maintenance of the bushes in and around identified hotspots will also assist in this regard. It will therefore be appreciated if you can give feedback on the above requests not later than August 31 2022,” he said.
Theunissen promised to meet with leaders of protesters in a bid to resolve issues raised in the memorandum.
“I know that you are law-abiding citizens and it is our duty to try and assist you with the requests that you have,” he said.
He also said he would keep in touch with the department in charge of rehabilitating potholes and grass-cutting to make sure that service delivery grievances were addressed.
The police committed to strategise safety measures and implement them on the routes used by cyclists and joggers.
Pretoria News