Innovative alarm to curb crime in Diepsloot

The personal alarm is an innovative product which is small enough to fit on a key chain but once the ripcord is pulled, the alarm lets out a loud, high pitched sound to alert people nearby that someone is in trouble. The alarm also contains a small torch to raise a visual alarm in the dark.

Thuli Mthethwa, the founder of Memeza, explained that the idea for the alarm came to her after she was affected by crime. In 2012 her younger sister was attacked in her home in Tembisa. “My soul was so touched by this event,” she said. “I thought, what if we can create something to help the police to perform better?”

Mthethwa was approached, through the Innovation Hub by Major General Oswald Reddy, the Honeydew cluster commander who was looking for a way to aid the community of Diepsloot. “Each police station has different problems in terms of crime,” Reddy said. “In Diepsloot, community members often become victims of crime during the night; the first thing the criminals take from a victim is their cellphone so that they are then unable to communicate or call for help.”

He explained that Diepsloot is also affected by mob justice. “Do not take the law into your own hands,” Reddy warned. “The police, community policing forum, non-profit organisations and the community need to work together as a team.”

Mthethwa explained that Memeza created two products which they hope will improve safety in townships: one is the personal alarm and the other is a cost-effective home alarm which they plan to launch soon.

The personal alarm is priced at R99, but through private sponsorship and government subsidies Memeza and the Diepsloot police were able to give out 2000 of these alarms to the community of Diepsloot, who cheered, danced and sang to express their gratitude.

“This alarm was made for the people, by the people,” Mthethwa said. “We want to make safety available to everyone.”