Partnership takes on Glenwood’s social ills

A RECENT meeting to discuss the scourge of sex workers in Glenwood with various stakeholders did little to appease the concerns and displeasure of local residents who left the meeting feeling disgruntled and apprehensive that their objections to the proliferation of sex workers in the area were not being heard.

Following the meeting, representatives from the Bulwer Community Safety Forum, the Glenwood Community Watch, the Umbilo Business Forum, the Umbilo CPF and local Councillor Nicole Graham together with support from the community organisation, Save Our Berea, held a subsequent meeting to discuss a way forward.

“The community were largely unhappy with proceedings at the recent meeting as they felt this meeting ended up being more about how we better accommodate prostitutes rather than about how we stop the increasing incidence of the sale of sex and drugs on the streets of Glenwood, a practice highly inappropriate in a residential suburb with a high density of schools and family homes with young children. There have been a number of threats reportedly made to community members from prostitutes since the meeting took place. This community unhappiness and the increasingly brazen attitude of prostitutes, their pimps and customers has prompted this group to come together to chart a way forward for the Glenwood community,” said councillor Graham.

The Glenwood Partnership has been formed to deal with some of the issues and take control of the situation. Graham said there were a number of serious issues facing Glenwood that needed to be dealt with to avoid a downward spiral into a state of lawlessness and urban blight. “The immediate concerns of this partnership will be crime and grime, drugs and prostitution. The general state of Glenwood, regarding acceptable standards of basic service delivery, will also be addressed,” she said.

The group will issue a memorandum of concerns to eThekwini Municipality, Umbilo SAPS and the National Prosecuting Authority to demand that action be taken to ensure that Glenwood remains a clean, wholesome and safe place to work, live, and raise children.

An open community meeting will take place on 13 May, where authorities and committee members will give feedback to the public.

Graham said the community was being encouraged to remain vocal and active. She assured that their concerns had not been ignored and were being taken seriously. “We also encourage people to join one of the watch groups that operates in the area. Glenwood is a wonderful place to live and raise a family. We aim to keep it that way and will not allow our neighbourhood to deteriorate into a red light district or a filthy haven for drugs and crime,” said Graham.