The handover of a fully equipped container, safety equipment and communication tools by Portfolio Chairperson for Safety and Security, Bicks Ndoni, today herald in a new era for this crime-ridden community.
The container will serve as an office for recently trained Peace Workers, of which 33 are women and 7 men, from Helenvale. Another two females and three men joined the group recently and will now undergo training as well to tackle the streets of this Northern Areas suburb.
Portfolio Committee Chairperson Bicks Ndoni congratulated the brave women and men who’ll work in an area where gangsterism is flourishing despite tremendous efforts from the South African Police Services.
“You are such a good example for the entire Nelson Mandela Bay. This street patrol model must also be established in other areas of the city. This is especially good since it is important that people must take responsibility of what is happening in the suburbs that they are living in,” he said.
The Eastern Cape Department of Local Government and Traditional Affairs has funded 10 rechargeable torches, 1 container/office, 40 whistles, 40 waterproof jackets and ten 10 two-way radios to the tune of R140 000.
A German company, GTZ, who is also partnering with the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality also funded 60 safety bibs, 120 caps, 120 golf shirts (two colours), 4 first aid kits and 4 metal detectors to the value of R65 000.
Street patrols in Helenvale started in 2008 after Samuel Davids of the Helenvale ANC branch was informed of stones being thrown on roofs in the middle of the night.
According they went out and after intervention the guilty parties were caught and the street patrols continued after this initial success.
Davids, the current Chairperson of the Helenvale Branch and the ANC candidate that will contest the elections in that ward, said they had to face very trying circumstances in order to continue with this project. The Helenvale Urban Renewal Programme took this existing programme and promoted it from an informal programme to a fully equipped unit that will work closely with the South African Police Services in the area.
The implementation of street patrols in other suburbs in Nelson Mandela Bay is currently being considered.
NMB Communications
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