Residents in Jeffreys Bay who have been left feeling frustrated and concerned about the crime and lack of adequate infrastructure in Dolphin Street recently met with representatives from the Kouga Municipality, where they voiced their concerns in the hope that the issue will be resolved as a matter of urgency.
Alwyn Kloppers a member of Safer JBay, the Ward 2 committee, Marina Security, and Aston Bay Ratepayers, said the two major issues faced in Dolphin Street are crime and lack of adequate infrastructure.
Lack of adequate infrastructure
Since the municipality embarked on the construction of 1 500 homes in Ocean View, he said there has been huge infrastructure development throughout the area, and as a result there is an increase in traffic on Dolphin Street, which is expected to skyrocket with more people staying in the area.
“The traffic on the road will increase greatly once the housing project has been completed,” said Kloppers.
To deal with the expansion of the area, he said it is vital that additional access roads be constructed to lessen the load on Dolphin Street.
Kloppers recommends an access road be created between Dolphin Street to Fountains Mall, and also another road linking the Pellsrus coastal area with the Northern Access Road, which is a road that carries traffic to Dolphin Street.
Despite the construction of the homes, some of which are being built on Dolphin Street, he said there are no sidewalks, stormwater drains, or sewage infrastructure, creating an unsafe environment for pedestrians.
“Hundreds of learners from King’s College in Dolphin Street and Makukhanye Primary School in Pellsrus, who make use of the road, often must walk through sewage and large puddles of water when it rains,” said Kloppers.
Increase in crime
Commenting on the high levels of crime in Dolphin Street, he said criminal gangs operate in the area and often target pedestrians and motorists.
Since it is unsafe to walk there, Kloppers said construction and domestic workers from neighbouring areas are dropped off and picked up on Dolphin Street, which causes major traffic disruptions.
“Workers in the area cannot walk from their homes, which are often nearby, because they are intimidated and robbed,” said Kloppers.
He said the lack of parking zones in the street for pick-up and drop-off further highlights the need for proper infrastructure on the road.
Further elaborating on the increase in crime, Kloppers said there is very little visibility of law enforcement on the road.
He said cameras have been placed in the street and are monitored by the Incident Command Centre in Humansdorp, and at the monitoring centre formed by the Aston Bay Neighbourhood Watch, which has helped to decrease crime.
However, Kloppers said it is vital that these cameras and streetlights are maintained.
Thankfully, he said that the Safer JBay WhatsApp group has also helped to act as an active security platform for residents.
To address the issues faced on Dolphin Street, Safer JBay, a community crime prevention initiative, and various stakeholders invested in the prevention of crime, hosted a meeting on June 6.
At the meeting, Safer JBay handed over a document that highlights the growing safety and road infrastructure problems on Dolphin Street, which was handed over to Reinhardt Foley, Member of the Mayoral Committee for water and civil services.
The document also contains an action plan
which includes:
. Visibility of municipal traffic department
. Visibility of municipality’s law enforcement
. Visibility of South African Police Service
. Pick up and drop off zones for workers
. Regular school patrolling
. Attention to stormwater and sewage challenges
“If we have co-operation from all stakeholders and the municipality, we can find a solution that will hopefully be sustainable for many years,” said Kloppers.
Christie de Klerk, chairman of Aston Bay Ratepayers Association and the Aston Neighbourhood Watch, said the situation in Dolphin Street has been a challenge for many years.
He said the municipality is aware of the situation and has placed its security initiative, Boots on the Ground, to patrol the area.
However, De Klerk said that criminals are opportunistic and continue to take advantage of motorists and pedestrians on the street.
“Criminals use every opportunity to commit crime. In the last eight years that I have been with the neighbourhood watch, there have been many cases of crime and assault on Dolphin Street,” said De Klerk.
Fortunately, he said they monitor multiple cameras on Dolphin Street and throughout the Aston Bay area at their control room which has yielded positive results, as they have shared footage and information with the SAPS.
However, De Klerk believes more needs to be done to decrease crime.
“With the cameras installed, people will not easily commit crime because they know that they are being watched,” said De Klerk.
Kouga Municipality’s efforts:
Kouga Executive Mayor, Hattingh Bornman, said that a Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG) project has been registered for the design of the Ocean View Collector Sewer upgrade, valued at R747 500.
The identified collector sewer is at King’s College, and is known to frequently overflow.
“Once the designs and environmental approvals are secured, the project will be registered as a construction project, likely commencing in 2026 with an estimated construction cost of approximately R7 million,” said Bornman.
He said that the project scope includes upgrading the existing sewer reticulation network by installing a new collector sewer line.
Bornman further said this upgrade aims at accommodating future developments in the Ocean View area, and providing capacity relief to the existing sewer system.
Commenting on the lack of sidewalks in Dolphin Street, he said the construction of sidewalks is not currently listed as a capital project.
Furthermore, Bornman said the construction of a pick-up and drop-off zone will not take place at this stage.
Providing feedback on the crime in Dolphin Street, he said that combating crime is primarily the responsibility of the SAPS, whose mandate includes maintaining public order and ensuring community safety.
However, Bornman said that the municipality is committed to supporting SAPS in their efforts to keep the area safe.
He said that after overcoming several delays the Ocean View Housing Project, one of 10 Human Settlement Projects approved by the Department of Human Settlements in 2009, is set to recommence with renewed vigour, at a combined cost of R144.2 million.
Bornman said that the project will see the construction of 568 houses at a cost of R94.5 million, while the bulk infrastructure, including sewer, water, and electricity, was installed at a cost of R50 million in 2021, ensuring the necessary foundational services are in place for 1 186 sites.
“While the municipality is not tasked with constructing houses, we are committed to advocating for adequate housing throughout the region,” said Bornman.
“The project is about more than just buildings; it is also about creating a supportive and inclusive community.”
