The Brooklyn, Ysterplaat, and Rugby Residents Association (Byrra) hosted a peaceful protest along Koeberg Road in the suburb of Ysterplaat on Saturday to create awareness of the “illegal pubs” in the street, said Jappy de Vries, deputy chair of Byrra.
The Byrra aims to create awareness, and improve various social ills within the area, such as unemployment, drug and alcohol abuse, youth illiteracy, crime and littering.
Additionally, the pubs in the area are a large cause of concern for the Byrra due to the heightened occurrence of crime it attracts to the area, explained De Vries.
“The drinking places create an unsafe area, because the alcohol and drug abuse fuels violence and crime in the area,” according to De Vries.
The pubs also attract adolescents who engage in underage drinking, which increases the problem of crime, and youth illiteracy even further.
Litter, also a cause of alcohol consumption, is ubiquitous across Koeberg Road, deteriorating local quality of life, and potentially promoting a haven for crime, De Vries explained.
“The pubs in themselves are legal, with an alcohol licence and the right to trade, however the actions of these pubs are a problem, as those are that are illegal,” according to Justin Kumlehn, the president of Byrra.
These illegal actions include alcohol consumption on public sidewalks, serving alcohol to adolescents, as well as urinating and littering in public along Koeberg Road.
“These sort of actions are also an advertisement for kids walking past the pubs late at night, thinking it is normal to act like this,” De Vries said, which perpetuates the vicious cycle of substance abuse, crime, and youth illiteracy.
The Byrra’s peaceful protest was not about the pubs along Koeberg Road, but rather their illegal actions, and the results it seems to have, De Vries added.
Ending the protest on a peaceful and positive note, the local pub owners in the street agreed to a meeting with Byrra to discuss the issue at hand.
