Arrests for cyclist and pedestrian robberies welcomed

SEVERAL suspects have been arrested in connection with a series of robberies targeting cyclists and pedestrians in Woodstock, Cape Town. I SAPS BREAKTHROUGH Arrests for cyclist and pedestrian robberies welcomed THEOLIN TEMBO theolin.tembo@inl.caza The arrest of several suspects allegedly involved in the robberies involving cyclists and pedestrians along the Lower Church Street bridge in Woodstock, Cape Town, has been welcomed. Since November last year, cyclists have been sounding the alarm about attacks and robberies along the M176. The attacks prompted the police to urge cyclists and pedestrians to remain vigilant. Several cyclists shared their experiences on social media about their brushes with crime as they were robbed along the popular route. SAPS Spokesperson Wesley Twigg said that following numerous complaints of robberies, Woodstock police compiled an operational plan to deal with the situation. "An integrated operation between SAPS and other law enforcement agencies was conducted on Friday morning, 31 January 2025 which resulted in the arrest of several suspects. "During this operation, 18 undocumented persons were arrested," Twigg said. The suspects were expected to appear in the Cape Town Magistrates' Court yesterday. Western Cape Mobility MEC, Isaac Sileku, welcomed the arrests, saying: "These alleged criminals posed a serious threat to the safety of cyclists, pedestrians and commuters. Their arrests are a crucial step in ensuring that our nonmotorised routes remain safe for everyone to use." Pedal Power Association CEO, Neil Robinson, said that they were very grateful and thankful to the police services for the various arrests made but also appealed to cyclists and pedestrians to be vigilant. "Also, as we lead up to the Cape Town Cycle Tour in March, a lot of people use it for their training routes every day, so it does help quite a lot when police are doing these sorts of operations to bring people to book,"