Into Scene of Chaos
CCN News
Mitchells Plain:- What began as a routine transfer from prison to court, turned into a harrowing crash that left prisoners, civilians and police officers nursing injuries, and residents reeling.
Shortly after 09:00 on Tuesday morning, a transport van from South African Police Service (SAPS), carrying detainees from Pollsmoor Prison en route to Philippi Magistrates Court. The van collided with a black Toyota at the corner of Morgenster Road and Eisleben Road in Lentegeur, Mitchells Plain.
According to provincial police spokesperson F.C. Van Wyk, six prisoners (one woman, five men) in the van sustained minor injuries. They were taken under guard to a nearby medical facility. Two civilians, the occupants of the Toyota, and two SAPS officers were also treated at hospital for their injuries. All detainees were accounted for and later escorted to court.
At the crash scene, witnesses described a chaotic and distressing scene: injured people lying on the ground, some still handcuffed, while bystanders rushed to help. One image shared with media reportedly showed a woman being attended to in an ambulance, bandaged and visibly distraught.
Local residents, already shaken by a fatal collision only weeks earlier on the same stretch of road, expressed anger and fear that even the very vehicles meant to enforce law and order could become a source of danger.
The crash comes at a tense moment, as officials from the Western Cape Mobility Department warned, of an alarming spike in road incidents in the province at the start of the festive season.
“Whether you’re a pedestrian, a driver, or even in police custody, nobody is safe if reckless driving goes unchecked,” one resident told reporters. Others pointed out how often SAPS vans are seen moving at speed across intersections, sometimes without sirens.
As the investigation into the cause of the crash continues, many in Lentegeur say the incident lays bare a harsh truth: in a place where road accidents, gang violence, and policing operations seem to collide on a daily basis.
The lines between protector and peril grow dangerously thin.
