GEORGE NEWS - A frightening encounter with a brick-wielding man on Hope Street has added to growing safety concerns in George South, where residents and motorists have reported incidents involving stone-throwing, alleged threats with a knife and suspicious behaviour.
Two women travelling from Pacaltsdorp towards the George CBD were left shaken after a man standing in the middle of the road allegedly threatened to throw bricks at their vehicle.
The incident occurred shortly after 20:00 on Sunday 4 October, on a poorly lit section of Hope Street near its intersection with Union Street.
According to the women, they only noticed the man when their headlights shone on him standing in the roadway with a brick in each hand. As they approached, he allegedly raised his arm and motioned as though preparing to throw one of the bricks at their vehicle.
Fearing for their safety, the women stopped and began reversing, but the man reportedly continued making threatening gestures. A bakkie and another vehicle then approached from behind.
The bakkie manoeuvred around the women’s vehicle, narrowly missing the man, who fled the scene.
They reported the incident to the police, but did not open a formal case.
More incidents reported
The George South Neighbourhood Watch’s (GSNW) representative, Marlene Swart, said they were concerned about several other incidents reported in the area, including attempted robberies, stone-throwing and suspicious behaviour.
According to Swart, a man was nearly robbed of his bicycle earlier this month, while a motorcyclist was threatened with a knife near the intersection of Ring Road, Rand and Union streets.
Another motorist was reportedly targeted with stones and torch batteries near the railway bridge, while a local business’ window was damaged by stone-throwing.
Swart also reported an incident earlier this month in which three men allegedly attempted to intercept a teenage girl while she was jogging. The men reportedly approached the girl at two locations before neighbourhood watch responders intervened.
They allegedly became aggressive when confronted. The girl was not attacked or injured. She warns women not to walk or jog on their own.
Number plates confiscated from refuse pickers by neighbourhood watch members. Photo: Supplied
Repeated encounters
A man who works in the area and regularly travels through the intersection of Union and Hope streets has described several frightening encounters involving stone-throwing and an alleged knife threat.
He says in one incident, he was riding his motorcycle when he came across a person attempting to remove some traffic light cables from an access point near the bridge.
When he confronted him, he was allegedly threatened with a knife. He then got off his motorcycle, and the suspect and an accomplice, who was pushing a shopping trolley, fled.
On another occasion, two or three young men allegedly threw stones at his motorcycle from the direction of the railway line above the road.
He also described an incident on a quiet Saturday afternoon when he encountered some people throwing objects near the bridge. According to his account, one person threw what appeared to be a torch battery through the open window of his vehicle, while two others on the opposite side allegedly pelted his bakkie with stones and pieces of brick.
Although the motives remain unclear, concerns have been raised that such behaviour could be intended to force motorists to stop or distract them, potentially leaving them vulnerable to robbery or attack.
Concerns over activity
Swart also raised concerns about activity in the grassy area near the dead end of Newton Street, where people reportedly gather to sort through recyclable material collected from refuse bags.
This activity increases around refuse collection days, particularly on Wednesday nights ahead of Thursday’s collection.
She said rubbish is often left scattered after the recyclable material has been removed. Some individuals become aggressive when confronted about littering or dogs roaming without leads.
Swart said the police were aware of the concerns and have been helpful in addressing some of the issues the neighbourhood watch had raised. However, she expressed her hope for greater involvement from municipal law enforcement, particularly in matters falling within its mandate.
Neighbourhood watch members regularly have to deal with aggressive refuse pickers who sometimes even have dogs with them. Photo: Supplied
The parks on Union Street and the grassy area on Newton Street are a favourite gathering spot for the homeless and refuse pickers on Thursdays. Photo: Supplied‘We bring you the latest Garden Route, Hessequa, Karoo news’
