Constantia Kloof North Residents Against Crime celebrates 25 years of continued custodianship
John Baisley and committee members striving to maintain the suburb's quiet charm
Mindful not to rest on any laurels, there is always time to enjoy a job well done.
Taking over from the founding chairman less than a year after the May 1, 1997 launch, John Baisley has been at the helm of Constantia Kloof North Residents Against Crime (CKN) for over 24 years.
Together with a dedicated committee, CKN has built a well-oiled machine of teamwork, togetherness and a tenacious commitment to their neighbourhood. To mark their 25th anniversary, friends and the CKN celebrated with tea, coffee, cakes and finger foods alongside the fireplace at the beautiful Kleine Constantia Guest House on May 21.
Falling under Weltevreden Park, the CKN name was born as a way to differentiate themselves from the rest of the sprawling suburb. Encompassing everything between Jim Fouche Road and Golf Club Terrace, from Hendrik Potgieter Road up to the sectional title developments along Constantia Drive, CKN pride themselves on the little piece of bliss they have carefully curated. Backed by a membership of over 500 households, the figure reflects an impressive 75% buy-in from the residents.
The large committee is tasked with all matters from security, maintenance to social well-being, and while they are all eager to credit John, he stressed their invaluable contribution.
“We have a fantastic committee. People do not always understand the hard work that goes on in the background. We have all created an area that people like to live in and whenever something is needed, someone puts their hand up to help,” said John.
The founding goals of the part-residents association, part-neighbourhood watch were to control crime levels in the area. With that accomplished, the aim now is to have zero crime and with the help of their dedicated service provider, Dowry Security, and the CKN civilian patrollers, the stats for 2022 so far are as close to that number as possible. John noted a steady decline in general service delivery, something they have combated by having a crew that cleans verges and centre medians, and even guards their own electricity infrastructure.
The scope of their volunteer work has now extended beyond being eyes and ears, and offers community-orientated humanitarian and logistical assistance too.
Toasting to 25 years of hard work and hopefully 25 more, John said, “We plan to keep going along as smooth as we can. We would rather get our hands dirty than complain.”
