Neighbourhood watch rises to the challenges faced in the Drift

Crime prevention has become the norm for residents who would love to not sleep with one eye open anymore.

Residents of the Drift, now more than ever, need to remain cautious when it comes to their safety and surroundings. Therefore, the Muldersdrift Neighbourhood Watch (MNW) dedicates itself to not only decreasing crime but also providing the community with crime-fighting services.

MNW’s director Samantha Barale says the watch was registered as a non-profit organisation in 2021, after the Covid-19 lockdown of March 2020 brought unemployment and hardship to many families in the area.

The watch is a model of community support that helps to prevent crime in neighbourhoods and on farms, provides trauma counselling and victim support, self-defence training with their training partner i-Lead, and Victim Empowerment Programme training. It also conducts safety awareness and patrols the Muldersdrift area.

“As a member of the Community Police Forum, at that time and already being highly involved in the community, I saw fit that our efforts should also contribute to the well-being of those who were going to be severely affected by Covid, with food shortages and crime being the main motivation.

“We started a regular food drive where the community donated non-perishable groceries at a few drop-off points in our area. This then expanded into a soup kitchen, as five local farmers came on board and donated vegetables which was run from a local restaurant owned by JJ Frowen, who ran an amazing team of community volunteers, making and freezing soup daily.

“Foresight Church and other church groups then joined this initiative and we used the church to do the bulk distributions once a week, as well as for daily deliveries. We received a generous food donation from Jacaranda FM, bread donations from three local bakeries, and dry stock donations which were processed in a donated storage unit and distributed. NPOs, churches and community welfare organisations shared resources. It was incredible, and so humbling. We believe we prevented much hunger in our area,” Barale says.

According to Barale, in the years leading up to 2024, farm attacks were prevalent in Muldersdrift, with victims of all ages, however, there is an increasing concern for the elderly.

“After moving one pensioner to a place of safety, the watch sourced affordable solar lights and beam alarms for those who had already limited budgets, and linked up as many people to local armed response companies to enable immediate response, which helped them tremendously. Load-shedding, illegal connections and cable theft greatly threaten our community.

“On secluded farms, it’s dangerous for the elderly to be alone in the dark with no backup plan, we all have to take responsibility for our security, but some need a little help and knowledge is power,” Barale adds.

In Muldersdrift, a series of self-defence classes are often held for anyone eager to learn how to defend themselves, which is also offered to victims of abuse. Trauma counselling for victims is also included in the MNW’s model, where they provide their services for those who are affected. The MNW remains consistent with regular patrols in the area to prevent crime and urges residents to be cautious of any suspicious activity and report it immediately.

“We are merely trying to be the change we want to see, leading by example, and helping where we can, the little we do can and has made a difference,” she concludes.