The community of Salberau in Elsies River took matters into their own hands when they built a two-metre high wall to keep skelms out of their community.
Residents clubbed together for the wall to block an alleyway between Salberau and Epping Forest, in an effort to curb crime and illegal dumping.
On Saturday, scores of men stieked uit to build it.
Residents say they were forced to take drastic action after their pleas for assistance to the local ward councillor and the City fell on deaf ears.
Salberau Neighbourhood Watch chairperson Paul Franse says mense have been asking for an intervention since 2019.
“The alleyways are a problem for us. When the people [criminals and dumpers] see us they run through these alleyways.
“We patrol with vehicles so we cannot go through the alleyways, so once they are through they are gone.”
He adds that the gange have become crime hotspots: “The alleyways are dark, there is no lighting so we don’t know who’s hiding there.
“That is why the community feels the alleyways should be closed down. People got robbed there a lot of times.”
Among the complaints are cable theft, gates being stolen, robberies, break-ins and stone throwing.
A fed-up Gail Swanepoel: “The klipgooiers threw my windows out, I have bullets stuck in my door and often we hear gunshots passing over our heads.
“Police are doing nothing and the councillor doen niks.”
According to mom Chantal van der Heever, 34, she has been attacked multiple times.
“I am one of the victims who have been robbed by jongens who came through this gangetjie,” she says.
“The third time was three houses away from me when I was gun-pointed early in the morning by two guys I did not see standing in this alleyway.”
But, ward councillor Chris Jordaan says the wall is illegal: “While I agree that we must act against gangsterism, the wall is illegally built.
“I was there when they started with the wall and spoke to about 50 people and informed them they needed to follow procedure.
“A claim was made that they’ve asked since 2019 and the only application that came through was for the alley in St Nicholas Street, Salberau, and that process went through our departments.”
He adds that the building of the wall has been put on hold until the necessary procedure had been followed.