Honeydew Residents Association welcome friends and newcomers for a taste of community sustainability

In a crumbling state, preservation is a joint responsibility.

Marking a year since a symbolic rebirth, Honeydew Residents Association (HRA) held a social meet and greet at 39 Pierre Road on April 22. Familiar faces took time out from their pursuit of community safety while welcoming recruits to the almost 24-hour volunteer cause. The mid-morning braai allowed members to get acquainted with the team and find out more about how HRA could positively impact their lives.

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HRA now has its fingers in many community pies in the spaces between Beyers Naudé Drive, Cypress Road, Johan Road, and the river at the bottom of the valley. Built on the foundation laid by the Power Rangers, a patrol team dedicated to protecting the electrical infrastructure of the secluded residents, HRA has grown its influence to encompass environmental, infrastructure, and service delivery challenges.

Cable theft remains the primary focus and HRA Chairperson, Izak van Rooyen, noted how incidents came in spikes.

“Where we found previously they were stealing up to 100 meters at a time, we are finding now they getting away with two or three meters. It is still an inconvenience but it is progress,” said Izak. HRA has been successful in gaining the attention of senior City Power officials who are regularly in attendance at their meetings.

Vice Chairperson, Shirley Bosman, has been a friendly thorn in the side of municipal entities well before her formal association with HRA. She describes the work as exhausting yet rewarding, adding, “There is a huge consensus that we can get this area back to a picturesque valley surrounded by rivers and the natural habitat in safe and secure surroundings,” said Shirley.

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Fires are commonplace in the open Honeydew expanses and the Community Group Fire Association (CGFA) were present to give a demonstration on their advanced methods of free firefighting support. Preferred private security partner, EC Security, supplied the boerewors and braaimasters while HRA members added the rolls and refreshments. Always there when needed, no community gathering would be complete without the ever-present support of Honeydew Community Police Forum members.

“Thank you to all of them for doing everything in their power in keeping the community safe. Thank you to the HRA trustees for all your effort, this day could not have taken place without all the background planning and strategising.”

With a never-ending to-do list, ticking the boxes of progress one at a time is a goal achieved as one.