Small South African town hit by road-related crime and lawlessness

De Aar, a small town in the Upper Karoo region of the Northern Cape, has been hit with a spate of road-related crime and lawlessness.

De Aar was established in 1903 on a farm of the same name, chosen because of its strategic central location.

The farm is host to underground water veins that sustained the area long before it became a transport hub.

Over the years, De Aar has become the second-most important railway junction in South Africa, making it one of the most prominent small towns in the country.

The rail lines connecting Cape Town, Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth, and Namibia all converge in the town. It features over 110 km of track and a large rail yard.

Apart from being an important transport hub, the heat and clear skies in the region have turned De Aar into one of South Africa’s utility-scale renewable energy hubs.

It hosts one of the southern hemisphere’s largest solar photovoltaic (PV) facilities, feeding hundreds of megawatts into the national Eskom grid.

De Aar falls under the Emthanjeni Local Municipality, which also includes Britstown and Hanover, within the broader Pixley Ka Seme District Municipality.

In recent years, De Aar has faced increased road-related crime and lawlessness, which has resulted in the deaths of many people.

Two fatal hit-and-run incidents in quick succession have exposed the severe under-capacitation of the Traffic Unit.

In one incident, an adult male was struck by a speeding motorist near the local Spar and succumbed to his injuries in the hospital.

In the second incident, also in the vicinity of the Spar in De Aar, the victim died on impact.

Another problem is that heavy ore trucks move through De Aar with little regard for traffic regulations.

These trucks damage infrastructure while frequently parking partially in the street and on sidewalks.

The Emthanjeni Local Municipality fails to properly mark road repairs, creating further risks for road users.

Residents have repeatedly raised concerns about the growing disregard for the rules of the road, yet the traffic unit remains under-resourced and ineffective.

Currently, excluding the Traffic Chief, only two traffic officers are available to police the roads in and around De Aar.

Its operational capacity is hampered by an inadequate fleet. It only has a Mahindra vehicle and a rented Toyota bakkie.

This creates an environment where lawlessness can flourish, offenders go unchecked, and innocent road users suffer.

De Aar pedestrian tunnel became a crime hotspot

On Monday, 22 June 2026, the Democratic Alliance (DA) said it had called on the police in De Aar to increase patrols at the pedestrian tunnel due to crime.

The tunnel connects De Aar town with Kareeville, Montana, Sunrise, De Put, Happy Valley, New Bright, Residentia, Barcelona, Macarena and Leeuwenhof.

It said that thick reed overgrowth has created hiding places for criminals targeting vulnerable residents.

SASSA grant recipients are among those most affected, with reports of robberies at the tunnel. Serious violent crimes, including rape, have also been reported.

The DA has asked the Emthanjeni municipality to clear the overgrowth, but progress has been limited due to the broken municipal fleet.

The theft of electrical cables has made the area even darker and less safe, especially for people walking home after night shifts.

“Residents should not be left exposed to known dangers in an important public walkway that has been allowed to deteriorate,” it said.

It said that the SA Police Service must act decisively to catch and convict those responsible for terrorising the community.

“It is time to reclaim public spaces from criminals and allow residents of De Aar to live in safety and dignity,” it said.