Afriforum Neighbourhood Watch steps up
On 16 and 17 February they found about 30 young children with alcohol in Greenhills at the park in Palm avenue,
The AfriForum Neighbourhood Watch membership grew since 21 new members have joined them in early February. They are now fighting crime together at full steam.
Braam Human and Matiam van Vuuren, chairperson of the AfriForum Randfontein branch, were excited when they spoke to the Herald about their latest successes and their goals for the future.
A day after the new members had joined the AfriForum Neighbourhood Watch, two stolen vehicles were recovered in Helikon Park in a combined effort by Human, Randfontein Police, Traffic Department, Rand Track and the West Rand Trio Task Team.
The next day, 9 February, they held a mass patrol to create awareness.
The neighbourhood watch members have also alerted the police to potential problems, such as about 30 youngsters using alcohol in a park in Greenhills. One of them dropped a tablet, which they handed in at the police station. They also saw to it that troublemakers drinking in public in Randgate were removed from the area.
The also did patrols with Randfontein Police in the official vehicles and did a stop-and-search at two taverns, one in Toekomsrus and the other in Mohlakeng. They found one illegal immigrant without an ID, without his identity card, two others were in possession of dagga and one person was arrested for drunken driving.
A few days later they spotted two suspicious-looking men in Rangate and sent out a warning to the community. At 1am that morning a large number of men, some from the Master informal settlement, assaulted one of the two men. They threatened to burn down a house in which the other one was hiding. Three Randfontein Police vehicles were on scene and police took the suspect away.
The patrollers also responded to accident scenes and provided all the support they could to the victims. They have helped to recover stolen vehicles and reported drug dealers. Human said that as soon as the police arrive at the scene, “We stand down, but being able to help keep the community safe is a honour”.
Van Vuuren described it as a wonderful experience to work with the Randfontein Police, and said their patrollers will get their own bulletproof vests soon.
He appealed to the community once again to come and join the AfriForum Neighbourhood Watch to help keep Randfontein safer.
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