Making a difference in domestic worker safety

Linden Police Station’s Constable Takalani Matumba was invited to be a guest speaker at a Make a Difference (Mad) Domestic Watch forum, at the Christ Church Blairgowrie.

Matumba said, “I was glad to be part of the meeting and give my input. Crime affects everyone, and the safety of those who take care of homes when homeowners are away should become a priority.”

Penny Steyn, who is the coordinator of Mad, invited Matumba to speak at the course which seeks to educate domestic workers on safety and security when they are alone at their places of work.

Steyn said, “Domestic workers and gardeners need to be skilled on the dos and don’ts when caught at a crime scene, and if they lack that, they need to know how to protect themselves.”

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The course shows domestic workers how to act and behave during a crime.

They are also informed of various phone numbers to call during an incident, including the direct numbers of their local police station, sector policing numbers, as well as the crime-line number.

Steyn has been running these Mad Domestic Watch meetings in 26 suburbs in the Johannesburg area once a month for the past 17 years.

Working in conjunction with the police, this project trains an average of 1 200 domestic workers and gardeners monthly.

Steyn added, “The courses are an ongoing process of building confidence, a relationship with the police, and eliminating the prospect of being implicated in crime if they report information. I swing my lessons between how to prevent crime and how to become an informer.”

Matumba said, “What I like about Mad is that it does not teach people that they need to be heroes, instead, it teaches them the proper procedures to follow to ensure their safety.”

Having a strong relationship with the police for a number of years, Steyn has developed various courses to help the police with telephone etiquette, professionalism, customer service, and leadership, with more than 2 400 police officers trained across the region.

When asked why she had a passion for running these courses, Steyn said she was a victim of a violent crime in 2001.

“Through the kindness of one police constable, I became a member of the Parkview Executive Community Police Forum and embarked on my passion to make a difference. My real need is to get a sponsor to allow me to train the local police again in customer service.”

Matumba has encouraged other domestic workers in the Randburg area to join the group.

Details: Make a Difference 011 783 8776 or 082 461 6968.