Various cases of stone-throwing at motorists have been reported across the valley during the festive season, including threats of launching bags of lemons.
Last week a shocking incident occurred in Franschhoek when a tour bus, filled with tourist,s was pelted with stones on the R45 near Grande Provence.
The bus sustained a broken window but no one was injured.
Police spokesperson Marize Mentoor said that they are investigating a case of malicious damage, but no one has been arrested.
In Paarl, the Sonstraal Road bridge was also a hot spot for similar incidents, reports Capt Louise du Plessis from Paarl Police.
She said: “Numerous incidents have been reported where stone throwing and other forms of damage to vehicles have occurred. These incidents have occurred during the early morning hours and after dark.”
An unusual incident was reported on a Paarl Facebook group on 30 December when a woman’s windscreen was destroyed by a bag of lemons.
The Facebook post warned: “Beware if you take the Sonstraal N1 off-ramp. My daughter suffered a close brush with death when a bag of lemons was hurled at her windscreen for no reason.”
The author of the post also begged people not to support illegal fruit sellers in the area since they appear to pose a threat to safety of motorists.
A motorist allegedly lost his life in a similar incident on Monday morning around 03:30 when “criminals threw a rock off a bridge onto a passing car on the N2 in the vicinity of the R300.
“When the driver was forced to stop he was robbed and fatally injured,” another report read.
Du Plessis confirmed that patrols are being held on the roads in the area. However, due to the lack of street lights and visibility on the road, bridge drivers and motorists are advised not to stop in the area or to avoid the area altogether after dark.
