Cape Town has plans to build a R180 million security wall along the N2 near Cape Town International Airport, a road that has become notorious for violent attacks on motorists.
The project aims to curb crime along one of the city’s busiest stretches of road, where both locals and tourists have increasingly been targeted at traffic lights and intersections.
The City of Cape Town has long argued that responsibility for the N2 rests with the South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) and the provincial government, as it is a national road.
These responsibilities include maintaining footbridges, fencing and road medians. However, Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis said the city has decided to step in due to the ongoing danger faced by motorists.
Hill-Lewis confirmed that the city is planning to erect a security wall along the section of the N2 around the airport, despite the significant cost involved.
He said the estimated price tag is R180 million and that funding for the project is being prepared as part of the city’s upcoming medium-term revenue and expenditure framework.
More clarity on timelines is expected when the budget is tabled in March.
The announcement has drawn mixed reactions. The Freedom Front Plus (FF Plus) welcomed the decision.
The party said that it would help improve motorist safety along the dangerous stretch of road.
However, the party criticised the length of time it has taken for authorities to act, noting that the problem has persisted for years and that lives have been lost while decisive action was delayed.
The FF Plus cautioned that a wall alone is not a long-term solution, and warned that criminals are likely to find ways around it.
The party argued that the only effective way to secure the N2 is through constant and visible policing, supported by tools such as CCTV cameras.
While the wall may help, they said motorists would remain vulnerable without a strong law-enforcement presence.
Crime threatens Cape Town’s reputation
The party called on the City of Cape Town, Sanral and the national government to urgently prioritise practical measures.
These include repairing damaged highway fencing, reactivating faulty CCTV cameras, permanently deploying armed patrols at six high-risk pedestrian bridges, and improving real-time incident reporting between Metro Police, Sanral and the public through the i-TRAFFIC app.
It also proposed youth training programmes in communities such as Philippi, Nyanga and Crossroads to address the root causes of crime.
The FF Plus added that it would be unfair for the city to carry the full cost of the wall, arguing that Sanral should fund or substantially contribute to the project.
Crime around the airport and along major routes has been a growing concern at national level.
Earlier this year, the Minister of Police was questioned in Parliament about the lack of visible policing near Cape Town International Airport, despite a surge in attacks on motorists.
In response, the minister explained that border policing teams are responsible for the airport precinct itself, while many crimes occur just outside that jurisdiction, particularly in the Nyanga area.
Although cases are often reported at the airport, they are referred to Nyanga police because they fall within that area’s boundaries.
To address the issue, the minister said Nyanga police and the City of Cape Town were instructed to establish static deployments at identified crime hotspots.
Several high-profile cases have intensified public concern. This month, a 64-year-old retired teacher from Bloemfontein, Elmarie van Aardt, was fatally stabbed while travelling from the airport with her husband to celebrate their granddaughter’s birthday.
The couple was attacked at a traffic light at the intersection of Jakkalsvlei Avenue and Jakes Gerwel Drive when a suspect smashed their car window and attempted to steal her handbag.
Van Aardt was stabbed multiple times and died on the way to the hospital.
Other incidents include an American tourist who was robbed and shot while travelling from the airport to Simon’s Town, and an elderly German couple who were robbed while driving along Baden Powell Drive near Wolfgat.
Local councillors, including FF Plus councillor Emre Uygun, have warned that such violence threatens not only residents but also Cape Town’s reputation as a global tourist destination.