Warning to criminals: CPF has bicycles to chase you down
Expect more CPFe visibility in the Bekkersdal area thanks to a big bicycle handover.
A total of 200 bicycles and 75 winter jackets were handed over to the patrollers of the Bekkersdal and Westonaria Community Police Forums on Saturday 9 June at the Westonaria Sports Complex.
This was an initiative by Qhubeka Charity, in partnership with the South Deep Community Trust and Goldfields.
Speaking to the Herald at the handover, Matt Fendick, the chief Client Relations Officer for Qhubeka Charity, said each bicycle cost R2 875.
“We want to say a big thank you to those who received these bicycles. You are today’s dignitaries because you raised your hands and said ‘send me’ to keep our communities safe,” Matt said.
“We wish you many happy days and years ahead. Our programme would not be possible without this partnership,” he continued.
According to Martin Preece, Executive Vice-President of Gold Fields, the CPF patrollers play a major role in the community. He said he was honoured to be a part of a project that lends a helping hand.
He added, “We can only address crime through a collaborative approach. I think this initiative demonstrates the strength of that collaboration. This donation of bicycles will increase the mobility and the effectiveness of our patrollers, who will be able to cover greater distances and respond more quickly to incidents”.
In a press release issued by the South Deep Sustainable Development, the organisation said, “Crime has a major impact on host communities around Gold Fields’ South Deep mine in Westonaria, south-west of Johannesburg. To combat this, the mine is working closely with the Westonaria and Bekkersdal Police and the CPFs in the ten host communities adjacent to the mine”.
A spokesperson for the CPFs said they appreciate the donation very much, as the lack of mobility hampers the work of the patrollers. “The bicycles will help them cover greater distances, be more visible and respond more quickly to incidents of crime.”
Colonel Tinus Swart, the Bekkersdal Police station commander thanked the donors for their generosity, saying, “We hope that this will increase the CPF’s visibility and reduce the rate of crime in the Bekkersdal policing area”.
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