MINUTE VIRRIE KAAP

A Cape Town couple who had returned from the United Kingdom to visit family say they have now fled back abroad after a terrifying brick attack and robbery in Browns Farm, Philippi.

Aqeela and her husband, Fariet Benjamin, both TikTok content creators, were travelling through Cape Town with family last Wednesday when their vehicle came under attack by a group of young assailants near the intersection of New Eisleben and Sheffield Roads.

The couple were on their way to Mitchells Plain when traffic congestion diverted them through Nyanga and ultimately into Browns Farm, a known criminal hotspot.

Aqeela explains: “We were travelling with my mother-in-law and my 14-year-old niece. We got stuck in traffic. We saw people driving in through Nyanga, and we thought it would be a good idea to follow.

“We also wanted to dodge the traffic. When we got to the robots at New Eisleben and Sheffield Roads, there was a taxi in front of us, and behind was a Toyota Avanza - we were stuck. We couldn't go anywhere.”

That’s when the attack began.

She adds: “There were young boys who suddenly appeared and smashed the whole car with bricks. Glass was everywhere. One of them shouted ‘Give me your f****n phone.’ Luckily, I left my other phone back in the UK, and the one I had slipped under my seat.”

The attackers made off with an iPhone Pro Max belonging to Fariet, her niece’s iPhone 14, and a power bank.

“I thought I was going to die,” Aqeela said, her voice still trembling.

After fleeing the scene, the traumatised family went to the Delft police station. There, they were told to first get medical treatment and a J88 form before lodging a formal complaint.

Still in shock, they eventually received assistance at Belhar police station, where a case was opened and later transferred to Philippi East.

The couple say that after posting about the incident online, they were flooded with similar horror stories from locals.

The incident has reignited criticism from community leaders over the lack of law enforcement in Browns Farm and similar crime hotspots.

Dumisani Qwebe, secretary-general of the Nyanga Community Police Forum, urged unfamiliar drivers to avoid the New Eisleben, Govan Mbeki, and Sheffield Roads—routes which have seen a spike in robberies and assaults.

He added that recent infrastructure changes, including new informal taxi ranks along Sheffield Road, are further complicating traffic flow and exposing more motorists to danger.

Qwebe says: “Last week, there was another incident like this - the person was around Marcus Garvey at 9pm and she was assaulted."