Note to Broadcasters: Please find attached soundbite in English by Kelebogile Motheng
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Rustenburg has taken practical action to improve community safety in Tlhabane after identifying an overgrown area being used as a crime hotspot.
Through our ongoing crime awareness campaign, the DA engaged with residents and members of the Community Policing Forum (CPF), who alerted us to a neglected open space near the Bothibelelo Flats that had become a hiding place for criminals.
The area was previously occupied illegally, and after residents were relocated, heavy rains and neglect allowed dense vegetation to take over.
During a DA oversight visit on 22 January, it became clear that the overgrown land posed a serious safety risk (see photos here and here). The pathway through the area is commonly used as a shortcut by residents and school learners to reach nearby destinations, yet the poor visibility created ideal conditions for robberies and violent crime.
In response, the DA, together with community members, organised clean-up operations over two separate days to reclaim the area. Residents joined in cutting grass, clearing debris and restoring visibility to improve safety for pedestrians (see photos hereand here).
This intervention follows a tragic period in which two people lost their lives in the same area within a single week, with residents reporting more than five deaths linked to crime in the broader community. These incidents underline how environmental neglect directly contributes to criminal activity.
What makes this situation even more concerning is that residents have raised these issues repeatedly, yet the municipality has failed to act. Once again, it was the community and the DA who stepped in where the local government has not.
Safe communities are built through action, not excuses. By working with residents, we are proving that crime prevention starts with visible leadership, clean environments and active partnerships.
The DA will continue to identify crime hotspots, mobilise communities, and push the municipality to fulfil its responsibility to keep residents safe.