As the year winds down, Southern Mail takes a look back at the news that made headlines on our pages in 2024.
The year started out on a positive note for some Hillview residents who were finally able to call their homes their own after decades when they received the title deeds from the City of Cape Town (“Homes of their own for Lavender Hill residents this new year”, Southern Mail, January 10).
Five Sakkies Dorp families received their deeds as part of a bigger programme.
However, on the other side of the area, over 100 Hillview families were rebuilding their homes after a fire razed their structures on Christmas Eve (“Help Hillview fire victims rebuild their lives”, Southern Mail, January 10).
It took a massive effort from organisations, donors and funders to help the families, most of whom sought refuge at a church at the informal settlement or with neighbours and family.
The area was hit with more tragedy when a 13 year-old died in a fire in Village Heights informal settlement in February (“Teen dies in Village Heights fire”, Southern Mail, February 28).
Zane Fouten, a Grade 7 pupil at Hillwood Primary School, and his family were asleep when the fire broke out in the early hours of the morning. He lost his life despite his family’s best efforts to save him.
Several communities in the Southern Mail catchment area, including Cafda, Lotus River, Parkwood and Ottery found themselves in the midst of gang-related violence which led to many fatalities in 2024. More than 70 people were shot and killed across police precincts, leaving communities terrified (“Cafda shootings continue daily”, Southern Mail, March 27).
In one incident, a 45-year-old man was shot and killed at a barber shop in 12th Avenue at about 9.30am on Thursday March 21, the Human Rights Day public holiday. According to police, the man was found in a chair at the barbershop with a bullet wound to his head.
When Colonel André van Wyk took office as station commander at Grassy Park police station on May 1, he intended to approach his new job at “one of the top 31 gang stations identified in the Western Cape, as an opportunity rather than a challenge” (“New station commander for Grassy Park SAPS”, Southern Mail, May 15).
Colonel Van Wyk has a total of 37 years of police service under his belt. He worked at Delft police station for 22 years before he moved to Grassy Park. He has also served at Elsies River police station, had a four-year term in Johannesburg and was acting station commander at Kuils River SAPS.
A petition that was started nearly three years ago to close the infamous gap in Ottery Gardens has yet again become an issue of contention (“Ottery residents mind the gap”, Southern Mail, June 26).
Some frustrated residents are pleading with the City of Cape Town to close the thoroughfare as they say it has become a crime hotspot, while others feel it is an important link for pedestrians.
Wynberg residents whose properties were damaged in strong winds and heavy rain in July appealed for help (“Appeal to help those hit by storm in Wynberg”, Southern Mail, July 17). Some said the wind was like a tornado, blowing off roofs and damaging overhead electrical lines on July 10, around 11pm. Damaged infrastructure left power outages. The aggressive winds affected four houses on the corner of Sussex and Bute roads, and crews from Constantia responded to the incident, according to Sonica Lategan, spokesperson for Disaster Risk Management.
The family-run Busy Corner Meat Hyper, in Grassy Park, is celebrating its 68th anniversary this year and testament to the family’s passion to serve the community and sound business ethics, is its steady expansion over the years.
Aslam Hassan, spokesperson for the Busy Corner butcher family, said its first store was established in 1956, in Grassy Park, on the corner of 5th Avenue and Victoria Road. They have moved to the corner of Victoria Road and Reddy Avenue.
Residents of Parkwood, Ottery, Lavender Hill and surrounding areas took the opportunity to share their service delivery gripes with Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis and Premier Alan Winde during a meeting at the Grassy Park civic centre on October 3 (“Residents demand answers in meeting with mayor and premier”, Southern Mail, October 9).
However, a group of protesters disagreed with the way the meeting was presented as they wanted the authorities to address them as organisations or civic associations and not as individuals.
The fourth fire in a year at Overcome Heights informal settlement destroyed around 100 shacks and left 300 people homeless on November 20 (“Pleas for help after fire in Overcome Heights”, Southern Mail, November 27).
While police say no case of arson had been reported, the community said an 18-year-old man had set their shack on fire after an argument with his mother.
Nicole Jacobus, the youngest woman to be elected the chairperson of the Grassy Park Community Police (CPF), has earned the support of her team who have vowed to “build bridges between the community and SAPS together” (“Young blood heads Grassy Park Community Police Forum”, Southern Mail, December 11).
Ms Jacobus, 35, was given the nod for the top spot at the annual general election on Tuesday December 3.
As we wrap up another year of giving a voice to our community, we wish all residents a peaceful holiday season and prosperous 2025.
