Locals team up against crime and grime
"The Edenvale CPF and security companies assisted in the clean-up. A knife was found in the bushes and it was removed by the CPF,” said Damhuis."
Isandovale residents gathered to clean up parts of the Driefontein Road that connects to Barbara Road leading to Germiston on the M59 South on July 10.
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Driefontein Road cuts through the Brabazon Road that forms part of Kempton Park and Sandvale Road in the Isandovale, Edenvale area.
Due to a rise in crime at this intersection, residents took it upon themselves to take action.
Alexander Damhuis, Isandovale resident, said there had been a number of incidents including hijackings, smash-and-grab incidents and robberies reported.
“A number of residents donated towards the clean-up with tools, money and their time. Our WhatsApp groups are very instrumental in engaging and organising community meetings and projects,” he said.
“In the morning we started with coffee and muffins.
“The Edenvale CPF and security companies assisted in the clean-up. A knife was found in the bushes and it was removed by the CPF,” said Damhuis.
“We cut the bushes so criminals won’t find space to hide. In the evening there is quite a lot of traffic, creating an opportunity for criminals to target their next victim,” he said.
“Residents patrol the area and I sometimes drive around at night to patrol. We have constant WhatsApp communication where we share everything, if we suspect something unusual is happening we report on the groups,” said Damhuis.
“Through the community groups, we were informed at least twice by residents that they have encountered problems on Driefontein Road. In many cases others do not report,” he said.
“Because the road services three areas, cases are reported to Kempton Park, Germiston or at Sebenza SAPS respectively,” said Damhuis.
Kimeshan Munsamy, Isandovale resident, said the clean-up project needs to become sustainable.
He said they are looking to formalise the community group into a functional registered NPO to obtain funding that will assist residents with community projects.
“We are becoming a self-sustaining community united by our social issues affecting each one of us.
“We have identified other areas within our streets that need to be clean. By doing so we also protect the value of properties,” said Munsamy.
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“There is a community park that once hosted events that we want to clean. Our residents need to walk the streets with their phones in their hands feeling safe,” he said.
“In the future, we are hoping to do one such a project at least once a month and get the SAPS, EMPD, CPF, security companies and other community stakeholders involved,” said Munsamy.
Andrew Mosesi, Edenvale CPF, said they continue to make sure there is a healthy relationship between the community and the police.
“Isandovale falls under Sector 3 of Edenvale SAPS precinct.
“The police alone cannot deal with all the ills plaguing the society, hence a collaboration between the police and the community is key,” said Mosesi.
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“The knife found during the cleanup had a string attached to it. The knife was not taken for forensics. The matter will be escalated to relevant stakeholders,” he said.
“The R24 Barbara Road off-ramp has been a hot spot for a while. Our collaborative efforts are helping to reduce the criminal activity to zero,” said Mosesi.
“We have deployed six CPF volunteers who patrol daily. We have done so since the last week of March earlier this year. They patrol between 06:00 to 10:00 except for weekends and holidays.”
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