Stakeholders team up to fight hijacking of buildings in the City
The purpose of the meeting was to form a forum to deal with hijacked buildings.
Germiston SAPS recently hosted a meeting with business owners, property agents, the sheriff of the court, residents’ associations, councillors and other relevant stakeholders to discuss concerns about hijacked buildings in Germiston.
The purpose of the meeting was to form a forum to deal with hijacked buildings. Germiston SAPS station commander Brig Nkhensani Lemba said action needs to be taken with all stakeholders involved.
“This has become a matter of urgency and needs to be addressed immediately as it has a huge impact on combating crime and ensuring safety and security in Germiston,” said Lemba.
She said police have tried to address the issue but that needs support from other stakeholders. “It is not a job for just one man.
We need all the relevant people involved for it to be addressed properly. As police, we are aware of a few buildings in Germiston that were ‘hijacked’ and we know there are more but we don’t have all the information. We need advice from relevant departments on how to handle the matter,” said Lemba.
Clean the city
“We need to clean our city of such ills and that can be done when we work together,” said Lembe. She said the forum needs to consist of people from different organisations.
“The forum needs to present all the people affected by this to identify solutions to resolve this problem,” said Lembe.
ALSO READ: February 15 is International Childhood Cancer Day and early detection can save lives
LamDel Residents Association supported the call for a forum and hopes that it will have an impact. “The initiative is a great idea. We need this team to stop more premises from being hijacked. We need to look at how to get the by-laws working,” said Lyn Opie, LamDel vice-chairperson.
“All parties involved need to work together as we are all fighting for a common goal. “Having all the different stakeholders in one room shines a light on the issue. If what is discussed in meetings can be applied it can make a difference in rebuilding and getting Germiston back to its former glory,” said Opie.
Germiston CPF also supported the proposal for a forum.
“Safety and security are important and currently Germiston is not safe. Some of the hijacked buildings are contributing factors. We cannot stand back and allow crime to be as high as it is in Germiston.
“It has a negative effect on property values,” said Germiston CPF chairperson Renee Germishuisen. She said every stakeholder has to play their role.
“Ekurhuleni council needs to enforce the by-laws at all times as this is their mandate to ensure that the community has a cleaner and safer city,” said Germishuisen.
Contact the newsroom by emailing:
Marietta Lombard (Editor) germistoncitynews@caxton.co.za, or (Journalists) Busi Vilakazi busiv@caxton.co.za , and Lebogang Sekgwama lebogangs@caxton.co.za.
