Double murder along coastal stretch reignite calls for better safety measures on Baden Powell Drive
Strandfontein police are investigating a double murder cases after two bodies were found near Baden Powel Drive
Image: Supplied
The notorious stretch of road along Baden Powell Drive has once again been thrust into the spotlight after the bodies of two men were discovered in bushes near Strandfontein on Friday, 2 May 2025. The incident has reignited long-standing community demands for proper lighting and CCTV surveillance along this dark and dangerous route.
Police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Malcolm Pojie said, “Strandfontein SAPS registered two counts of murder following the discovery of the bodies of two unknown men in the bushes off the road. Both men, in their early thirties, succumbed to gunshot wounds to the head. The discovery was made by a passer-by who flagged down a patrol van and pointed out the location. The motive is yet to be established. No arrests have been made.”
The murders add to a growing list of gruesome discoveries along this road. Two years ago, the half-naked body of a woman was found between Khayelitsha and Strandfontein.
Weeks earlier, the body of a kidnapped man was discovered in thick bushes along the same route, and another man was found dead behind public toilets at the ‘S-bend’ after allegedly being killed by a group of men in a taxi. In 2022, a man and woman were found tied up and shot near the S-bend and their bodies dumped on the beach with their hands and feet bound with masking tape.
Despite numerous incidents and repeated appeals from the community, basic safety infrastructure remains largely absent.
Sandy Schuter Flowers, chairperson of the Strandfontein Community Policing Forum, remains vocal in her criticism of the City’s efforts:
“It’s the exact same message — the plea hasn’t changed. There was never lighting on Baden Powell to begin with, so there was no vandalism or cable thefts. It’s always been a dark road.”
The bushes along the coastal stretch is notorious for bodies being dumped
Image: Leon Lestrade
She also raised concerns about the visibility and effectiveness of CCTV surveillance in the area.
“I know there’s a camera at a certain spot — but where are the others? How far can it even see? If these cameras are meant to monitor the hotspots we all know, why is there still so much crime?”
Schuter Flowers however reassured residents that the stretch is being policed regularly.
The City of Cape Town has confirmed that a CCTV project along Baden Powell Drive is complete, with six cameras currently in place between Prince George Drive and the N2, and a seventh being relocated.
“There is no hold-up. The CCTV project is complete. We are busy with the relocation of one camera,” Metro Police spokesperson Nicolene Heynes said.
She added that the City has assisted SAPS with 35 cases across the metro in April alone, including video evidence linked to six murders and attempted murders.
In response to ongoing criticism around the lack of lighting, Heynes said: “The City has looked into the lighting options in this area where there have been repeat cases of vandalism, and the continued replacement of infrastructure is not feasible. The City continues to look at all feasible options and will revise its approach as required.”
Weekend Argus