- Cape Town plans a R180-million wall along the N2 near Cape Town International Airport after violent attacks on drivers at intersections.
- Political parties argue over funding, policing failures and delays while families mourn people killed during robberies near the airport route.
For many families, driving on the N2 near the airport has become terrifying.
Drivers say they slow down at traffic lights with fear, watching pavements and bridges. Bags are hidden, windows stay closed and every stop feels risky.
That fear got worse this month when 64-year-old retired teacher Elmarie van Aardt was killed. The Bloemfontein grandmother was driving with her husband from the airport to visit family when attackers smashed her car window and stabbed her to steal her handbag.
Her death has again put pressure on the city to act.
Cape Town plans to build a R180-million security wall along the N2 near Cape Town International Airport. The wall aims to stop violent attacks on drivers, especially at intersections where criminals target cars.
Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis says the danger is too serious to ignore, even though the N2 is a national road managed by the South African National Roads Agency. He says the money for the wall will be included in the city’s medium-term budget, with details expected when the budget is tabled in March.
The plan has divided opinion.
The Freedom Front Plus supports the wall but says action came too late. The party says people lost their lives while authorities argued over who was responsible.
The party warns criminals may simply move to other areas. It says constant, visible policing is needed, supported by working CCTV cameras and armed officers at key pedestrian bridges.
Pictured above: Cape Town International Airport.
Image source: Cape Town Tourism
