Steps taken on Cape Airport “Hell Run”

The Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) has welcomed recent steps by the City of Cape Town, SANRAL and the police to address rising violent crime on roads around Cape Town International Airport, particularly the N2 and R300.

The party also welcomed the arrest of a suspect linked to a New Year’s Day attack on an elderly deaf couple on the N1 near Canal Walk. The couple was assaulted with pangas. After motorists reported that police initially declined to take a statement at the scene, the VF Plus assisted the victims in opening a formal case. A suspect was arrested shortly thereafter, reportedly in possession of a weapon matching the victims’ description.

Following months of public pressure, authorities have begun to respond more decisively. Measures include increased patrols, the deployment of metro police, repairs to damaged highway fencing, the reactivation of CCTV cameras and renewed plans for a R180-million security wall in high-risk areas.

These steps mark a positive start, the VF Plus says, but ongoing incidents suggest they are insufficient. The N2 airport route, often dubbed the “Hell Run”, remains dangerous.

The murder of 64-year-old Karin van Aardt near the airport in December 2025 highlighted the scale of the problem. Further serious incidents have followed.

For years, the DA-run City of Cape Town, SANRAL and the provincial government have largely failed to act, or have shifted responsibility between institutions. When vital transport routes become unsafe for law-abiding citizens, the result is close to anarchy.

The VF Plus has again called for coordinated, long-term action and says it will continue to apply pressure until these roads are safe for residents and visitors alike.