Organisations on high alert
“If you can protect yourself, you can also protect your neighbour, and if so, you and your neighbour can protect your community as well.”
Solidarity Union urged its members on Wednesday at a press conference in Centurion to remain calm in the midst of the ongoing political unrest and violence that gripped the country last week.
According to Flip Buys, chairman, members should increase vigilance, remain calm, and join their local Community Policing Forum (CPF).
He said “the infighting in the ANC which initially led to the looting, offered criminal elements a platform to exploit communities by looting and stealing”.
Buys called on authorities to restore law and order and to apprehend the thugs.
“However,” he said, “residents should not leave their safety to law enforcers only, since there is a lot you can do yourselves to protect yourselves, your families and your communities within the framework of the law”.
“If you can protect yourself, you can also protect your neighbour, and if so, you and your neighbour can protect your community as well.”
He also encouraged people to join any of Solidarity’s neighbourhood watches, or any other community safety structure.
Kallie Kriel, executive officer of AfriForum, said organised communities have no reason to fear as their safety is in their own hands.
He said it is no strange phenomenon to take care of oneself, as many communities in KwaZulu-Natal have illustrated the past week.
“AfriForum has been investing resources for the past few years in establishing community safety structures and have more than 159 neighbourhood watches. We have a network of control rooms, a countrywide radio network, 12 500 volunteers, an air wing with 53 pilots and well-trained staff members,” Kriel said.
AfriForum’s head of community safety, Colonel Jan Wessels, said the organisation had already deployed its safety plans when the unrest started last week, by placing neighbourhood watches on standby.
“Our control rooms and grass root level structures are monitoring the situation, and our strategy had been updated in line with current circumstances,” Wessels said.
“We have increased visibility and are ready to assist all role players as needed. However, we will not get involved in conflict on highways or other prominent places. Our focus is on the safety of residential suburbs,” he said.
To join any of the AfriForum neighbourhood watch structures, visit www.afriforumbuurtwag.co.za.
Solidarity requested members to support its crisis fund, as well as its Helping Hand organisation to supply to communities in KwaZulu-Natal. Visit www.krisisfonds.co.za to assist.
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