Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia has warned that the proposed three-metre high, eight-kilometre security wall along the N2 highway in Cape Town will not be enough to stop crime on its own. The wall, which will cost around R114 million, is part of the N2 Edge Safety Project, aimed at reducing smash-and-grab attacks, stone-throwing incidents, and robberies that have plagued the stretch of road.
The project was announced after the fatal stabbing of 64-year-old Karin van Aardt at a traffic light just off the highway. Three men have since been charged with murder. Cachalia said that while the construction of a highway wall and/or barrier along the N2 may contribute to situational crime prevention, it cannot replace core policing functions.
N2 Safety Project
The N2 Edge Safety Project includes building a security barrier along parts of the N2 highway near Cape Town International Airport. The project will cover 8km of the busy route used by thousands of commuters every day, travelling between the airport and the CBD. According to the City of Cape Town, the project is aimed at reducing crime and improving safety for road users.
Concerns and Criticisms
Build One SA (Bosa) leader Mmusi Maimane has questioned the effectiveness of the project, asking if it would be more effective than just putting more police on the roads. Cachalia responded by saying that effective crime reduction requires an integrated approach combining environmental design interventions with sustained policing, intelligence, and prosecutorial action.
Some of the measures being implemented by the police include high-visibility patrols, intelligence-led operations, targeted deployments of specialised units, collaboration with municipal law enforcement agencies, and focused investigative efforts aimed at securing arrests and successful prosecutions. The South African Police Service has not determined that the N2 safety project constitutes a substitute for sustained visible policing or enhanced investigative capacity.
The city’s urban mobility political head, Rob Quintas, said that stakeholder engagements are currently under way, and once formal agreements have been reached from all stakeholders, the city will communicate at the appropriate time. The project is expected to start soon, but no official date has been announced.
- 8km of the N2 highway will be covered by the security barrier
- The project will cost around R114 million
- The wall is aimed at reducing smash-and-grab attacks, stone-throwing incidents, and robberies
