Cape Town - A month after Prasa committed to clearing the deteriorating area of the Mascani settlement on Railway Road in Woodstock of vagrants and agreeing to monitor it, the U Watch NHW says illegal occupation of the property continues to attract criminal elements.
It has now emerged that the area is a hub for animal cruelty where dog fighting is conducted and where dogs are raped and burnt alive.
A resident who assists with animal welfare in the area, who asked not to be named, said for years dog fighting incidents had been conducted in the Prasa vicinity every Friday night.
She said this was reported to the SPCA, which recently conducted an operation in which a man was arrested.
“I was informed by an eyewitness that the dogs get raped, and the losing dogs from the fights are burnt alive. Numerous dogs that had been reported missing, especially pit bulls, are sent to the area, including the kittens that are used for baits and also stolen from the community.
“To know that this is happening right down the road from where we are living is awful. We cannot sit back and be quiet knowing that these horrible things are happening to animals. Every time there is a poster of missing pit bulls I know where it went, but it kills me that no one has been taking note,” she said.
U Watch secretary Rob Marshall said they were disappointed that the commitment of urgent attention and daily visits from Asset Protection had not happened.
Marshall said on Sunday that fires were seen from the building on Railway Road, highlighting that it was still occupied.
“There’s been no movement on their promises to attend to this abandoned building urgently. Sadly, assets paid for by us, the taxpayer, continue to house criminals right on the doorstep of our neighbourhood while Prasa watches on,” he said.
Marshall said until now Prasa had made no commitments and that the residents’ frustrations come from a lack of positive steps on the horizon.
“We have dealt with the symptoms of high crime rates in our area for over a decade and there is simply no end in sight,” he said.
With the right design, Marshall said the area could be transformed into a vibrant extension of Woodstock and Salt River.
Prasa was contacted for an update on its process of removing the vagrants and other immediate interventions but could not respond by the time of publication.