ROLE players in the Alberton community gathered recently to discuss problems facing Alberton North in particular.
On Tuesday, June 14, the meeting, consisting of ward councillors, security and police representatives, business owners, a social worker and different departmental officials, took place at the Eeufees Church in Alberton North at 11:00.
The meeting was used as a platform to find solutions for the problems facing the community.
Everyone got a turn to introduce themselves and to state what is bothering them and what they think should be done to resolve these ills.
Drugs was one of the big things that were discussed, and according to several people at the meeting, the guilty parties get arrested and simply pay a R500 admission of guilt fine and they are back on the streets immediately after and just continue their criminal enterprises.
Referring to the crime problem, Councillor Bruna Haipel (ward councillor) said, “We should start publishing the crimes and the punishment criminals receive, perhaps that will help dissuade some of them to commit all these crimes”.
“The police and security companies do good work, I think the problem lies more with the courts, because they simply ask the criminals to pay a fine and the cycle starts over again”, said Willie van Wyk, chairperson of the AfriForum Alberton branch.
Another concern raised was that the heritage in Alberton is not being cared for and the illegal destruction of Town Hall was used as an example, and how it destroys the local economy and pride in the community.
Squatter camps were a bone of contention and left the room divided, as some were saying that the squatters should not be given water and other help, because this encourages them to stay, and them being a big source of many of the problems, such as drugs. Others, in turn, said it is a human rights issue and that they should be given water and flushing toilets, because it is a health risk for everyone if they don’t.
The EMPD (Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department) failed to send any representatives over concerns of all the by-laws being broken, so too, the Department of Education was absent to discuss the problems facing the schools regarding drugs.
Ideas were passed around and another meeting was set for Tuesday, August 16, at the Eeufees Church in Alberton North, to see if any progress has been made to rectify the issues.
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