JEFFREYS BAY – Businesses in the centre of Jeffreys Bay are raising concerns about what they describe as an increasingly serious problem involving street children, with reports of intimidation, harassment and threatening behaviour towards residents, employees and tourists.

Businesses raise safety concerns

The manager of a local business, who would prefer to remain anonymous, said the situation around Da Gama Road, close to ABSA and the Jolly Dolphin, had deteriorated to the point where employees and business owners no longer feel safe.

According to the business manager, the children frequently shout, swear, verbally abuse and harass people in the area, with some incidents escalating into threatening behaviour.

“We genuinely feel threatened and unsafe around our own business,” the manager said.

The concern intensified recently when two employees reportedly had a can thrown at them while they were out buying lunch.

In another incident, a client of one of the businesses told the manager she had remained inside her vehicle because she was too frightened to get out due to the presence of the children.

“She urged me to go to SAPS and report the situation because of how frightened she was by what was happening,” the manager said.

The manager subsequently went to the police station to raise the matter but was referred to Kouga Law Enforcement.

The business manager said the situation had become so concerning that the office was now being operated with the door locked.

“I understand that this is a complicated societal issue, but we are currently working with a locked office door,” the manager said.

The manager also raised the matter on the Jeffreys Bay Kouga Facebook group, where the post received a strong response from members of the community.

Numerous people reportedly shared their own experiences of being threatened, intimidated and victimised by street children, which the manager said demonstrated that the problem extended beyond one business.

“This makes it clear that this is not simply an isolated problem affecting one business. It appears to be a much wider community issue,” the manager said.

Protection application submitted

In an effort to find a solution to the problem, the manager said they had submitted a Protection from Harassment application at the Humansdorp Magistrate’s Court on 7 September.

According to the manager, the feedback allegedly received from the court was that a directive had been given to the Jeffreys Bay Police Station to identify the children.

The business manager also said formal cases would be opened with SAPS when incidents occurred but expressed concern that urgent intervention was needed before the situation escalated.

“We are extremely concerned that unless something is done urgently, someone is going to get hurt,” the manager said.

With the tourism season approaching, the situation is also raising concerns about the potential impact on businesses and the town’s reputation.

The manager said tourists visiting Jeffreys Bay should feel safe and welcome, warning that visitors, residents and business owners being confronted, harassed or intimidated could create a negative impression of the town during its busiest tourism period.

SAPS outlines its response

According to police spokesperson, Captain Marius McCarthy, the SAPS in Jeffreys Bay acknowledges the escalating challenge of unsupervised children roaming the CBD.

However, he clarified that these children are not homeless; they do have homes but are unruly and cannot be controlled by their parents.

McCarthy said a critical lack of formal criminal reporting and a severe shortage of safe houses limit long-term legal interventions.

Since the individuals involved are minors, he said SAPS must operate strictly within the framework of the Child Justice Act, prioritising child rights and welfare over summary arrests.

McCarthy said that SAPS, alongside local law enforcement and private security partners, conducts regular visible policing patrols in the CBD.

This includes integrated CCTV monitoring through the high-tech intelligence centre and the dynamic deployment of specialised units to hotspot areas such as Da Gama Street to curb aggressive behaviour and vagrancy.

McCarthy said these operations are systematically intensified ahead of and during peak holiday periods.

Police urge formal complaints

He also said that while the SAPS receives a daily increase in community complaints, it is a concern that victims overwhelmingly post their grievances on social media rather than opening formal criminal cases.

“Legally, police cannot prosecute or initiate formal judicial proceedings without an official statement or complainant,” said McCarthy.

Additionally, he said an absolute scarcity of local youth shelters and statutory “places of safety” means that when the SAPS or social workers remove a child from the streets, there are often no facilities to legally accommodate them, forcing a cycle of return.

McCarthy strongly advised businesses, residents and tourists never to give money directly to child beggars, as cash financially incentivises them to remain on the streets and exposes them to exploitation or substance abuse.

“If you encounter aggressive, intimidating or threatening behaviour from unsupervised minors, do not engage or retaliate,” said McCarthy.

He confirmed that they received protection orders from the Humansdorp Magistrate’s Court.

McCarthy said the orders involve a local business that approached the court for protection from harassment.

He said the investigation is ongoing.

McCarthy also advised people to take the following steps immediately to ensure that the state has the legal framework required to act:

• Contact the Jeffreys Bay Police Station Community Service Centre (CSC) directly on 067 598 2013 or 042 200 6801.

• Contact the Kouga Emergency Control Centre on 071 883 4081 or report the incident in person at the police station at 6 Woltemade Street, Jeffreys Bay, to ensure that it is officially documented.

The Eastern Cape Department of Social Development is also aware of concerns about children spending extended periods on the streets in Jeffreys Bay.

Department spokesperson, Mphumzi Zuzile, said the department does not yet have a verified figure for the number of children living or working on the streets.

He said social workers from local non-profit organisations, Christelik-Maatskaplike Raad (CMR) and Joshua Project, were providing services to vulnerable children, while many of the children have parents or caregivers and return home later in the day.

“Each case is assessed individually, as children may have different family circumstances and levels of vulnerability,” said Zuzile.

Task team to coordinate response

He said factors contributing to children spending extended periods on the streets include poverty, substance abuse, school dropout, inadequate family support, family breakdown and peer pressure.

Zuzile said Joshua Project operates a drop-in centre in Jeffreys Bay with support from the department, while its services include family tracing, counselling, psychosocial support, life-skills programmes, homework and aftercare support, and referrals.

He said Kouga Municipality facilitated a stakeholder meeting on 9 September, where a coordinated response involving the department, SAPS, NGOs and other stakeholders was strengthened.

“Following the stakeholder meeting on 9 September, a multidisciplinary task team will be strengthened to conduct outreach, identify vulnerable children, undertake assessments and coordinate appropriate interventions,” said Zuzile.

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