Public drunkenness, violence and indecent exposure at van Riebeeckstrand post box

In raising this petition I speak on behalf of young families, persons living in the area, passing by or visiting the centre (specifically the local pizza shop, young girls walking to and from the dance studio), business owners, persons attempting to collect their mail and citizens in general concerned with inappropriate and illegal behavior in front of children.

In my case my young family and I live within 100 metres of the Italian pizza restaurant (Forneria Italia) located in van Riebeeckstrand, Melkbosstrand. On an almost daily basis, and to various degrees, we encounter the challenge of persons congregating at the red post box – numbering from a single person to up to twenty-five. Nine times out of ten these persons are drinking alcohol sold to them by the OK liquor store located within the centre – starting early in the morning and concluding as late as 20h30. Whereas all persons have the right to free access to the purchase of alcohol, the challenge is that these persons continue to gather at the post box and continue drinking until they are way over the limit and then proceed to swear, urinate, fight, expose themselves and pass out in public, and yes in front of children – either eating at the restaurant with their parents or passing by.

Together and on separate occasions my spouse and I have routinely witnessed all of the above as well as:

• physical violence towards woman (males brutally slapping females),
• persons verbally threating to stab each other (and there has been one stabbing that I know of but did not witness),
• kids passing by being shouted at with vulgar and obscene remarks;

To have any child, not speaking specifically of only my child, witnessing and experiencing this is not acceptable. There is also the real danger of drunk person(s) being hit by a vehicle – which poses the obvious tragedy of the person being hit into the equation.

Because of how long this has been allowed to fester (for many, many years), the behaviors as described above are being accepted by the authorities. No accountability is being taken as to who or what can be done to curtail this not only illegal behavior but downright unsettling ‘norm’.

To say that my spouse and I have phoned the police 80 times in the last year is an understatement. The police don't always arrive timeously or sometimes not at all due to the availability of the police vehicle and/or priorities. No fault of their own as they are stretched with more pressing issues. We have spoken to the OK liquors to find a mutually beneficial solution on numerous occasions. Each party points the finger of responsibility to the other. Results have been limited and short lived to-date.

To the Melkbosttrand SAPS: do you accept these activities as normal and condone the behaviour?

To the Local Councillor / Rate Payers association: What more can be done to better serve and protect all involved?

To the owner of the shopping centre: Are you aware of the damage this is doing to the business in your complex and that the tenants want a solution?

To the OK liquor store: Is there anything preemptive you can do to assist?

We call on a senior Melkbosstrand SAPS representative, a representative from the rate payer associaton, the Local Councillor, the owner of the shopping centre and the owner of the OK liquor store to engage each other and come to a mutually agreed solution to this current situation.

Persons who are experiencing the same frustration or have a viable solution please sign the petition. This petition will be forwarded on to the relevant persons once the Signature Target has been reached.