South Africans Divided Over Cape Town's Plans to Build R180 Million Crime Wall

• The city of Cape Town plans to build an R180 million wall along the N2 to protect motorists from violent attacks.
• Mayor Geordin Hill Lewis said this is a measure to protect locals and tourists, especially en route from Cape Town International Airport
• The proposal has sparked nationwide debate, with South Africans split over whether it’s the right solution

The City of Cape Town has announced plans to build an R180 million wall along the N2 near Cape Town International Airport. The area has become notorious for violent attacks on motorists. The project aims to protect locals and tourists, especially those who have been targeted on this busy stretch of road.

A post by Jaco Kleynhans regarding the city’s plans to erect the wall has gone viral, sparking widespread debate on social media.

According to the Sunday Times, Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis has been advocating for the construction of the security wall to be included in the city’s forthcoming capital budget. Hill-Lewis announced that the city has decided to intervene and implement measures to curb violent crime in the area. He confirmed that the city plans to erect a security wall along the section of the N2 near the airport, despite the significant cost involved.

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Freedom Front Plus Applauds the Decision to Build the Wall

Freedom Front Plus has applauded the decision to build the wall. The party said it was regrettable that so much time and so many lives had been lost before such action was taken. However, they cautioned that the wall is not a long-term solution, as criminals will eventually find ways to circumvent it.

“A security wall will certainly help, but without a strong law enforcement presence, motorists remain vulnerable,” the party said.

They proposed steps to provide a permanent solution to the crisis.

"Steps would include repairing all damaged highway fencing and reactivating faulty CCTV cameras; permanently deploying armed patrols at the six high-risk pedestrian bridges; rolling out youth training programmes in Philippi, Nyanga and Crossroads to address the root causes of crime; and integrating real-time incident reporting between the Cape Town Metro Police, SANRAL and the public via the i-TRAFFIC app,"the party said.

The announcement has drawn both mixed reactions and a notable debate across South African social media.

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"South Africans Weigh In: Mixed Reactions Over N2 Wall Proposal

The netizens who supported the decision argued,

@giotrades97 said:

"At least something is happening"

@Noma_here remarked:

"Build that wall!"

@ShaneDora2 commented:

"I travel to Cape Town as a tourist and would welcome such a wall."

Others strongly opposed the idea, saying the money would be better spent on increasing policing, addressing poverty and informal settlements in areas like Khayelitsha and Nyanga, and tackling issues across the Cape Flats:

CyrilMboweni1 said:

"This is madness!! No wall is going to stop criminals."

@pgpaulg5 commented:

"So the solution is to build a wall & let the killing spree continue as long as it doesn't affect the rich people Bravo what a great idea."

RuanBarnard84 said:

"Crime wall? Get rid of the criminals and you wouldn’t need a wall? And if you really need to build a wall, build it on our border and use the criminals in jail to build it."

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2 Previous Briefly News articles on crime in Cape Town

Previously, Briefly News reported on a shocking video captured where two men were recorded breaking a car window on the N2 in Cape Town. The smash-and-grab occurred in heavy traffic and left motorists traumatised. The clip, filmed by Nyasha Sandra Chikanya, who was driving directly behind the victim’s vehicle, went viral on Facebook, attracting numerous views and comments as citizens discussed crime in the country.

In another report, the South African Police launched a manhunt after another person was shot and killed on the Cape Flats on 1 December 2025, on Spine Road, in the early hours of the morning. The circumstances surrounding the shooting remain unclear. The chairperson of the Lungelethu Community Police Forum called on the police to arrest the shooters after community members apprehended the suspects.

Source: Briefly News