From the Editor’s Pen

Community leaders (ward councillors, political party representatives and CPF representatives) are too busy bickering with each other as opposed to representing you.

By now, residents are aware of the dramatic showdown at the May meeting (Edenvale CPF meeting cut short) of the Edenvale Community Police Forum (Leaders in conflict, June 3).

I don’t understand the objection to the meeting being recorded (‘Unapproved’ recording equipment ends CPF meeting).

On the other hand, the number of DA representatives attending this meeting was noticeable. Never has a non-political community meeting been so well-attended by politicians. This included Member of Parliament Mike Waters, who travelled from Cape Town especially to attend the meeting.

Wow! I am eager to know why the same effort was not made to attend CPF meetings when Edenvale had to deal with serious crime incidents, such as the double murder of Mr Philip Jackson and Mr Dillyn Elsley.

And why cancel the meeting? Ultimately, any public meeting is recorded, be it through audio or penned minutes.

Take the camera out of the shoe box and position it for all to see. If anything, it will speak of transparency.

With the childish bickering taking the spotlight whenever Edenvale community leaders lately meet, the question is – when will residents receive the spotlight via public representation?

Our attempts to report on the current infighting in a dignified manner have become increasingly difficult, simply because of comments and posts on social media and public displays such as that at the cancelled CPF meeting.

A day after the cancelled meeting, the DA issued a press release to all media in which the following was stated: “Another mystery is the published photograph of the so-called DA table, this act of photographing was ruled out of order and one of the reasons why the meeting was being adjourned, by the CPF Chair, minutes previously.”

Any journalist will be intrigued by the statement of a “mystery” involving a published photo and the NEWS’ online editor, Charmaine Slater, duly followed up to obtain clarity on the “mystery”.

Imagine our surprise when we were told the “mystery” was the photo published by the NEWS online, www.bedfordviewedenvalenews.co.za the night of the May CPF meeting. Any other journalist requesting clarity on the “mystery” will be told the same.

There is no mystery in what we do. There is no mystery in reporting the news.

Our content is consumed by thousands online every day and thousands weekly in print. What we do, it is safe to say, is pretty much out there for all to see.

Although the DA issued an amended press release excluding the “mystery” statement later the same day, the reason for including this in the first place remains questionable.

I sincerely hope by the time this is published, Edenvale community leaders would have proved the May fiasco was an exception and not the rule.

As Mr Quintin Indaba, representing the office of the Gauteng MEC of Community Safety said at the most recent ECPF meeting held on Wednesday, “Everyone is standing in their own corner, pointing fingers at each other. What are you all doing to help?”