Residents tackle crime highway

The home invasion and rape incident in Florin Road on the border of Strubens Valley and Wilgeheuwel on March 27 shook the local community but spurred one resident into action.

Christine Els has lived and worked in the area for 20 years and was deeply shocked when she heard of the incident that took place in this usually tranquil neighbourhood.

With the support of other community members and residents’ associations, Els initiated a fundraiser through the Wilgheuwel Residents Association (RA) WhatsApp group and organised a cleanup operation of the greenbelt that runs between Florin and Sovereign roads.

• Also read: Woman raped during home invasion

“These greenbelts are beautiful, but they run through our neighbourhoods like highways, providing criminals with easy access to our homes, enough cover to hide, and a highly effective escape route.

“This, and other recent crime incidents could have been prevented if the greenbelt was properly maintained in the first place,” she says.

In the space of three days, Els, with help from the Wilgeheuwel RA, and Willowbrook, Ruimsig, Amarosa, and Poortview Residents’ Association chairperson, Martin van der Westhuizen, managed to raise nearly R4 500 for the operation, plus a sizeable donation of petrol for the brush cutters.

With this money, she was able to secure an eight-man team from the Toolbox Hub for three days, to cut away overgrown grass and brush and clean the greenbelt. The fundraiser will be ongoing to expand the cleanup.

Residents came out in force in support of the project. Armed with brush cutters, pangas, gardening gloves, gumboots, and garbage bags sponsored by Pikitup, they descended on the greenbelt, cutting, hacking, and picking up rubbish.

It wasn’t long before the first signs of criminal activity were unearthed. Hidden between the tall grass, residents found lengths of stripped electrical cable, some discarded household goods, and much more.

Before long, a serious sewage leak was revealed along the stream. This was reported to the relevant department.

“My heart goes out to the victim of last week’s incident,” says Els. “We are not safe in our own homes, and as a community, we cannot stand by and watch these things happen right under our noses. We have to stand together and do something about it.”