DEAR Editor,-
We as the Trafalgar Security Committee hereby officially launch a complaint against the South Coast Herald for the following article: ‘Public pays for illegal dune clearing’.
Firstly, the journalist who wrote the article never afforded the parties referred to in the article the right of reply, thus not verifying facts of the article. This resulted in a factually inaccurate article which placed the community and security sector of Trafalgar in a totally unfair and negative position.
The Sector Police and all its members affiliated to this organisation have no knowledge of who cleared the mentioned ground and hereby state that the statement ‘public pay for illegal dune clearing’ is totally inaccurate and untrue.
Public funding was at NO time used to clear any dune or sections of the ‘Blue Flag’ beachfront of Trafalgar.
This is a frivolous accusation by journalist Judi Davis.We immediately demand that Ms Davis supplies the Trafalgar Sector Policing and the community with her source of this blatant lie.
At our last meeting, we arranged a potjiekos competition with the intention of clearing the dense bushes at the beach (as per the rule of the ‘Blue Flag Beach’ governing Body) and to build a viewing deck for our disabled residents and tourists. To-date, none of the funds raised were used for any projects to better Trafalgar’s Blue Flag status.
The Sector Police, in accordance with Criteria 33 of the rules of a Blue Flag Beach, intend to erect facilities for disabled people (www.blueflag.org). The Trafalgar Sector Police, as part of their service to the community, use their own means to raise funds for alterations and improvements to our community and beaches.
The front page story by Judi Davis is a blatant misrepresentation of the facts of who was responsible for the felling of the trees at the beach.
We have no idea of what scrubs where removed and by whom!
The heading on the front page of the South Coast Herald ‘Eco vandals destroy dune’ and the strap line ‘Public pays for illegal dune clearing’ is, to say the least, a blatant misrepresentation of facts and only served certain individuals’ agendas.
This, for a front page story, was extremely unethical and will cause damage to the businesses mentioned in this article. We hereby demand that the South Coast Herald place a front page apology to the Trafalgar Sector Policing, residents and businesses affected by this article.
MS RONEL KOTZE
Member: Trafalgar Sector Policing
Herald stands by its report
Please note I did not say the Trafalgar Sector Police had been responsible for the dune destruction.
I said public money collected UNDER THE BANNER of the Trafalgar Sector Police appeared to have been used for this.
The Whatsapp post for the fundraising potjiekos competition was headed Trafalgar Sector Police and it specifically stated that “proceeds will go towards clearing the bush at the beach (which is a hiding place for vandals) and to build a wheelchair-friendly deck on the beach”.
If, as the letter writer said, the money raised was not used for the stated purpose, those who contributed might well wonder how the money will be spent.
As I stated in the article, the organiser of the potjiekos competition was contacted. He was asked who had cleared the dune and he said “the whole community”. He declined to answer any more questions, including whether the sector police had been involved, which I also stated in the article.
I did not mention any businesses in the article.
JUDI DAVIS
South Coast Herald Journalist
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