In Conversation With Abdullah Navlakhi- Central Johannesburg CPF

For thousands of students living and studying around Auckland Park, Braamfontein, Brixton, and Melville, daily life has become increasingly shaped by one reality: fear. Students from institutions such as the University of Johannesburg and University of the Witwatersrand have repeatedly raised concerns about robberies, muggings, hijackings, and violent crime happening on routes between campuses, student residences, taxi stops, and shopping areas. The Brixton SAPS precinct has for years identified parts of Auckland Park as student crime hotspots, particularly intersections around Kingsway Road, Empire Road, University Road, and areas near Campus Square, where students carrying laptops, phones, and bags are often targeted.   Police and community reports over the years have described a pattern of street robberies, armed muggings, house robberies at student communes, and organised criminal activity targeting students viewed as “easy targets.”   In some recent cases, law enforcement operations uncovered suspected robbery syndicates operating in Auckland Park and surrounding areas, with police recovering stolen phones, laptops, weapons, and identity documents allegedly linked to crimes against residents and students.   Instagram · Twitter