The first one occurred on August 3 just before 19:00 when everyone was getting ready for dinner or putting their young children to bed for the night.
Some hooligan, in a blue car, allowed his car to backfire twice and then twice again a few seconds later, near Palala/Gardenia Street, Brackendowns, sounding like bullets firing and causing security companies to be called out when their security guards should not have been put on alert for no reason, thus wasting valuable time and resources.
This appears to have become a trend in the Brackenhurst/Brackendowns area lately and adds to the trauma of the residents unnecessarily.
Somebody in the area must know who these guys are, and I challenge them to come forward and name and shame the perpetrators so we can claim back our streets and stop the crime and unnecessary stress we are continually exposed to by these selfish people.
These incidences often occur after curfew, which makes these guys lawbreakers.
I would like to tell these guys about the traumatised and grief-stricken people I see daily in my practice that they are further traumatising with their illegally modified cars back-firing, which sound like gunshots.
I will tell them about the children of the policemen and women I see for therapy who are afraid every time their mums and dads are called out to crime scenes and to scenes of looting; and who may never come home one day.
I will tell them about the nurses and doctors working non-stop shifts for two to three days without rest to keep Covid-19 and other patients alive.
I will tell them about the children who have lost their parents and the parents who have lost children to Covid-19.
I will tell them about the security men and women who never have days off and who work tirelessly to keep us safe during these days of unrest and crime-ridden times.
I will tell them about the stressed and exhausted teachers trying to keep themselves and the children they work with safe and up to date with their lessons and juggling online and classroom work, as well as their own and their children’s fears of Covid-19.
But most likely these hooligans will not read this letter, nor will they care about the people who are risking their lives for them and their loved ones.
The second incident occurred at 03:00 on August 4. It was the death of the sister, Janet, of a man who has assisted hundreds of Brackendowns and Brackenhurst residents.
You may ask why does that matter when so many people are dying right now?
Well, yes, every life matters. But, for this man, it was the last straw in a long line of terrible incidences.
Many of you will recognise the name of 4th Dimension’s Stephen le Roux. He is a legend in our community.
He is a man who can be called upon 24/7 for help and he will be there.
Every week Stephen assists people in their homes when they have emergencies.
Just a few weeks ago he tried to save the life of a wonderful old lady who had a heart attack, and she died in his arms before the paramedics could get there. He was devastated.
On August 4 he lost his sister.
We are collectively grieving the loss of so many loved ones in our community. We are also grieving the loss of so much more.
We are grieving the loss of everything that was normal. Family gatherings, hugs, proper funerals, church services, our children miss playing with their friends and sports events, we cannot attend soccer or rugby matches or socialise like we used to.
However, we can stand together as a community and find a new normal and make things work again.
We can share the few resources we have left and ensure nobody goes hungry, that we keep one another safe, that we are kinder and more considerate of one another’s needs.
We can be more patient in the traffic and let people in who are waiting on the side. We can smile and wave instead of hooting and swearing.
Let’s work on community unity and dare to care more.
As Barney said: “Sharing is caring.”
Alberton has a proud history of giving and community spirit, as can be seen by the wonderful acts of kindness and generosity written about in this newspaper.
Dr Lynn Holmes, educational psychologist
