JUST two months after a fence was erected around Sutton Park, in February, theft and vandalism has become an issue as parts of the fence began to be removed by thieves, leaving the park unsecured and unsafe. Luckily, Ward 27 councillor Ernest Smith, in collaboration with the Lower Morningside Ratepayers’ Association and the Lower Morningside CPF, worked with contractors to weld the parts of the fence that had been removed back into place to prevent thieves from stealing them and damaging the fence further.

Lower Morningside CPF chairman Gary Manthe was the driving force behind the effort to secure the removable parts of the fence. “The thieves attempted to remove the fence’s gates by sticking a metal spanner or metal object in to loosen the hinges and steal them. When they tried to remove the hinges on the entry gates, it was easy because they were originally badly installed with only a bit of welding done on the top and bottom of the hinges by the appointed contractors who had installed the fence,” said Manthe.

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Manthe said the securing of the gate’s hinges was a collaborative effort. “We really rallied together. I borrowed a generator from my cousin, and my business associates from GM Security Solutions, which I own, did the welding work, and now, the main gates are secure. Ernest organised a donation from his side for the labour and petrol needed for the generator, and multiple residents from Lower Morningside contributed.”

Ernest Smith says the installation of the fence came after multiple requests from residents in the area had cited the park as a hub of criminal activity. “The park was used for all sorts of nefarious activities; it was littered with syringes and condoms and other dangerous items which made the park unsafe for public use.”

Now, Smith says the park has become a much safer space. “Judging by the damage that was caused, we know we need to keep our eyes on the park because there are thieves and criminals who once had available access to this park who are not happy to see that we’ve beefed up the security here. We are working towards getting cameras installed here so we can actually catch the people who have been damaging the fence, which is municipal infrastructure. R1.5 million went into this project, and it would’ve been jeopardised if we didn’t intervene when we did.”

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“The community really came together to help us with this one, and that’s exactly what we want – as much community engagement as possible. We need the community to remain vigilant and to report any instances of crime,” said Smith.

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