Sandton sector 3 CPF rallies behind Cubs

Concerned grandparents from Sandton’s sector 3 Community Policing Forum (CPF) have joined hands and rallied behind the initiative to reign in the social epidemic of Children Being Used for Begging on the streets (Cubs).

“Cubs was formed in August 2022 by a group of concerned grannies who attended CPF sector meetings,” said the organisation’s spokesperson Louise Agar. “It’s a Sandton CPF sector 3 initiative with the purpose [of] doing something about the use of children and babies being used for begging at traffic lights.”

Research conducted by the City of Johannesburg in 2017 identified 300 people who subsist through pleading at traffic light intersections. According to ward 32 councillor, Dimakatso Moloisane. The findings were documented, and a report was then sent to section 79, health and social development.

“We then found out that the majority of them are not South African. They are in the country, they are working with someone,” Moloisane alleged. “So whatever money they make at the traffic lights, there’s a certain person that’s coming in the evening to come and pick them up, and they pay [them] that money.”

The picture painted by Moloisane darkens.

“That person is providing them with accommodation,” said Moloisane. “They have daily targets in terms of how much each person has to make per day. If you do not make that target, you are in big trouble.”

According to Najen Naidoo from Smart Communities, who was present at the Cubs sector CPF meeting on the morning of August 3, conclusive information and direct evidence of the kingpins alleged to be involved in managing the network of women and children of undocumented, foreign origins has yet to be found.

“This was ascertained by Cubs and SAPS, and this will have to be obtained from the interviews,” Naidoo said. “We are looking at providing Cubs and SAPS with the capabilities to gather and process the stats.”

Naidoo, whose interactions on the topic have mostly been informal, contextualised the reason for there being such a high number of non-native South Africans subsisting in the country.

“With the growing population of Africa and many African countries struggling to grow it is leading to political instability, safety concerns, and the inability for people to support themselves financially,” said Naidoo. “Comparatively SA is structured and provides more opportunities to support oneself. Therefore, if we can support people in building their businesses in SA – and if organisations like the UN and World Bank can directly support initiatives in our neighbouring countries to build their economies. There are very few people that want to emigrate but to survive they are forced to.”

Johannesburg Metro Police Department spokesperson Xolani Fihla said that the City of Johannesburg’s Social Development Department has, in the past, conducted operations where mothers and children were removed at the intersections.

“The main concern is that should there be an accident whilst they are sitting at these intersections, no one will be held accountable. This endangers their lives as they may be run over by vehicles, and it’s not allowed,” said Fihla. “Under the City of Johannesburg’s Public Road and Miscellaneous By-Laws, no person may lie, sit, stand, congregate, loiter or walk, or otherwise act, on any public road in a manner that may obstruct traffic. The biggest challenge is that with no harsher sanctions, they keep on returning because all the officers can do is remove them. Under the National Road Traffic Act, pedestrians may only cross a public road if it is free from oncoming traffic. When walking across a pedestrian crossing, a pedestrian may not linger, but proceed.”
JMPD continues to remove them from the intersections.

Related article:

https://www.citizen.co.za/sandton-chronicle/333161/traffic-signal-backup-power-initiative-in-sandton/

https://www.citizen.co.za/sandton-chronicle/333144/brt-project-plagues-wierda-and-katherine-intersection/