Rand Water comes on board
After the article appeared in Comaro CHRONICLE, Drug bust in Mulbarton, page 1 March 12, representatives from Rand Water were invited to the following meeting of key role players who are aiming to clean-up the area around Panorama Shopping Centre and Jordi Road.
MULBARTON – Members from Glenvista and Mondeor Community Forums, Mondeor SAPS, Ward 23 councillor Paul Smit, D&D Tactical, Bruno Barradas (co-owner of Panorama Shopping Centre) and Rand Water met on Thursday March 13 to discuss the way forward.
“We’ve invited Leslie Hoy Manager Environmental Management Services Group Shared Services Rand Water and Bafana Mbende (Acting Head Protective Services Rand Water), to this month’s meeting to determine how we can go forward with an attempt to remove the vagrants from off the land bordering Jordi Road and Panorama Shopping Centre,” said Mike Fontes from Glenvista Community Forum.
Hoy said, “Rand Water owns two properties adjacent to Kliprivier Drive, one of them opposite Panorama Shopping Centre. Some other surrounding properties are owned by City Parks. A proposed concrete palisade fence is being looked at by Rand Water on one portion of land, which will be phase one of the eventual plan. We are aware of dumping on our land and have ascertained a fence will help alleviate this as well as vagrants who periodically try illegally live here and we believe could be , selling drugs.”
“We presently do patrols during the day on our land and we are aware of vagrants who are living here,” said Mbende.
Fontes requested no parking, no hawkers and no stopping signs should be erected along Jordi Road, “This will assist with hawkers not operating along here, which in turn will stop drugs being sold. It will also be beneficial if a controlled grass burn is undertaken along Kliprivier Driver from Rand Water to Panorma Shopping Centre. We welcome Rand Water becoming involved and in future will liaise with Mbende about future meetings, dates, etc ,” Fontes added.
Andrew Ledwick from D&D Tactical said, “Cameras which have been erected along Jordi Road are proving very beneficial and we can keep surveillance on what’s happening in this area.”
In closing Fontes suggested mounted patrols to be looked at by Rand Water for the following financial year. “Mounted patrols are extremely effective for this terrain and will help to monitor what is happening on the land.”
Fontes thanked Bruno Barradas for hosting the meeting at Mugg & Bean and for Hoy and Mbende for attending the meeting.
