East organisation embarks on after-storm debris removal
ASF says while Tshwane workers are responsible for cutting, collection and disposal, they stepped up to help cut and clear obstructions, prioritising high-traffic routes to minimise disruptions for residents, as council have their hands full now.
As Tshwane metro remains stretched on resources to deal with the aftermath of the heavy storms such as electricity and water pipe repairs, security forums in the east of Pretoria collaborated to clear debris, remove fallen trees, and unclog storm drains.
The storm has seen the closure of Rietvlei Nature Reserve as of February 19, until further notice, according to Tshwane.
“The city is compelled to temporarily close operations at this facility due to flooding, which was caused by the persistent rainfall over the past few days. The roads within the nature reserve are not drivable and most of the bridges are flooded resulting in risk of vehicular damage and drownings.”
While the storm has disrupted city operations an east of Pretoria forum, Alpha Security Forum (ASF) got involved in clearing fallen trees from major roads.
According to Aris Ruyter from ASF, the teams collaborated with security companies such as Brinant, Comsafe, Kabod, SDS, and Quatro, and have removed several trees to ensure the community’s roads remain accessible.
He said meanwhile municipal teams have cleared about seven trees across Pretoria east.
“While council workers are responsible for cutting, collection and disposal, our role is to cut and clear obstructions, prioritising high-traffic routes to minimise disruptions for residents, as the council has its hands full at these times.”
Ruyter said the efforts are not just about cutting trees; they are about serving the community when needed most.
“We often find ourselves changing clothes multiple times due to wet and muddy conditions, and even with gloves, thorn trees –commonly found in the area –leave us with splinters, thorns and scratches.
“These are small sacrifices in the larger mission of keeping our roads clear and our community safe,” he continued.
“Notably, Jarad Frimmel, Malcolm de Klerk and Pieter van Heerden have been instrumental in co-ordinating and facilitating these efforts,” he said.
Ruyter added that collaboration extends beyond the immediate team with other community safety forums, such as the Old East Safety Forum in the Brooklyn Precinct and Equestria JEA in Equestria.
“Their support, and ours in return, highlights the unity and shared responsibility that underpins community-driven safety initiatives.”
Ruyter said the reason they decided to step up was due to noticing that the municipality was currently dealing with so many issues across all seven regions.
“One of our guiding principles is to take action rather than simply complain. During storms, countless issues arise, from power outages to infrastructure damage. Rather than waiting for services to respond, we step up to do what we can.”
He added that this co-operation between residents, private security, and municipal services is key to keeping Tshwane moving, even in challenging conditions.
Ruyter said Alpha Security Forum remains committed to assisting the community in times of need, whether it’s through crime prevention, disaster response or infrastructure support.
“By working together, we can overcome obstacles and make a tangible difference in our neighbourhoods.”
To become part of the ASF team, you can find more information at www.alphasecurityforum.co.za.
The Tshwane metro said the continuous rainfall has led to delays in attending to power supply interruptions in most parts of Tshwane’s seven regions.
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Metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo said the city’s technicians are overstretched due to the size of the network that they need to cover, and the number of outages experienced over the past few hours.
“This has resulted in a massive restoration backlog which is exacerbated by the need to prioritise the safety of our technicians who are not allowed to work on the network during wet and rainy conditions, including pipe bursts that require welding.”
Mashigo said the team is always on standby to take advantage of attending to the outages whenever there is a pause in the downpours.
“It must be emphasised that the city is committed to accelerating power restoration to frustrated customers and appeals for patience while technicians strive to reduce the increasing backlogs in different areas.
Our water engineers are also monitoring the city’s wastewater treatment plants which are usually affected whenever there are heavy rainfalls,” he continued.
He said in the meantime, waste collection and disposal services remain manageable, however, if the rain continues intensely, there might be a delay in this service.
“Residents will be informed of the developments and Tshwane apologises for the inconvenience caused”
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