Rave fights for service delivery
“We will try our utmost best to resolve these issues so that the residents can live in peace as it used to be before.”
The Residents Association of Valhalla and Extensions (Rave) is taking the fight to criminals one tree at a time.
Rave believes that if the municipality cut the invader trees and overgrowth in public parks in the area, crime would drop.
Speaking to Rekord, Rave chairperson Jurie Reyneke said that thugs who broke into people’s homes and cut electricity cables, used the parks and canals as escape routes.
Rave was established in 2013.
Also read: Residents fed up with Mabopane cemetery vandals
When Rekord visited the area on Wednesday, overgrown alien plants and trees in the park and canal created a safe haven for those who wished to hide.
“Over the past three years, letters have been written to the Tshwane metro, but only 200 metres were cleaned up but this had since grown back,” said Reyneke.
Reyneke said crime was seven times higher in 2013, but through their network of communication and cooperation with the CPF, Valhalla was a better place.
“But we are still not where we need to be,” he said.
“The parks are overgrown with trees, wild grass and invader plants and gives harbour to the thieves coming into the area.”
Also read: Residents fed up with grave vandals
Reyneke said that the canal was about 1.2 kilometres long, enough for criminals to disappear.
He said that vandalism of the adjoining military base fence also gave refuge to thieves as they could also use it as an escape route.
“We will try our utmost best to resolve these issues so that the residents canlive in peace as they used to before,” Reyneke said.
Also see video:
Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to editorial@rekord.co.za or phone us on 083 625 4114.
For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord’s websites:
For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram
