JOHANNESBURG SOUTH – A crime and safety meeting, which was held at Rietvlei Zoo Farm on Wednesday, August 19, brought role players in the community together.
The meeting was opened by Toni Mackrell (business owner and resident of the South) who said crime is affecting businesses and residents in the area. “I’m very concerned about the crime situation in our areas and I feel the South of Johannesburg has been neglected in the past and still is today. We need people to take responsibility for what they do.”
Yusuf Bhyat, from Gauteng Traffic Police Department, spoke about the high incidents of fatal accidents, especially on the R554, R556, R82 and the N12. “Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) has been involved in trying to bring motorists’ speeds down and often have speed traps along these routes. Pedestrians and cyclists make up most of the fatalities.”
Glenvista CPF’s Mike Fontes said the most prevalent crimes are house breaking and armed robberies, as well as cable theft, theft of vehicles and theft from vehicles. “The biggest increase seen is the theft of vehicles. We need to get SAPS, CPFs, business owners and the community to work together. It’s the only way we’ll combat crime. In some areas there is a strong CPF presence whereas others don’t have enough.”
D&D’s Kayde Francey said: “One of our biggest problems in the South is the increase of vagrants. We would like to put more LPR cameras into community areas. Since a camera was installed on the Comaro on and off-ramps, we’ve seen less crime there. We meet up with SAPS and local CPFs weekly to discuss crime issues and this benefits us all.”
Ward 54 councillor Sergio dos Santos spoke about his role in the community and service delivery in Region F. “What residents don’t understand is we can’t always achieve everything we’d like to because of budget restraints. It’s very frustrating for councillors.” Ward 23 councillor Paul Smit agreed on this point, adding: “Residents often ask if it will help municipal complaints if they get a petition going but there is a three year waiting list for petitions to be addressed.”
The meeting ended on a positive note, with all the role players agreeing that meetings such as this need to be held regularly. “We know pressure motivates results. I think more pressure must be put on the city to rectify a lot of the problems we, as residents, are faced with,” concluded Toni.
