CPF Chairman was at wrong crime watch

EDITOR – Imagine my surprise to see our very own Gavin Hegter in a photo marching with the community of Berea.

The event was a march against crime.

Now I know it wasn’t organised by a political party that Mr Hegter has issues with, but still he is right up front, leading the march.

What I find so amazing is that when a march is organised in our community, Mr Hegter as the chairman of our CPF, was standing behind a fence at the SAPS charge office – not up front and leading the march against crime in his own CPF area. Now I know Mr Hegter is going to say he will not participate in any activity organised by a political party. That I say, is a load of rubbish. If the ANC, DP, KISS, NNP, EFF or any one of the other 200-odd political parties organised a march against crime, shouldn’t the chair of the CPF be right up front leading the march? After all, isn’t that the main purpose of a CPF – to help fight crime?

Part of this march was to do with the whoonga addicts. It’s strange how, after SAPS and the municipality cleared out ‘Whoonga Park’, we suddenly have an increase in crime in our area. Now I am not saying the march that Mr Hegter attended had any direct impact on the sudden wave of crime that we have experienced, but those whoonga users had to go somewhere.

MARK FRANCIS

EDITOR – In response to Mark Francis’ letter regarding my participation in the march to City Hall on Saturday, 12 July, the march was arranged by Umbilo Community Police Forum (CPF) and as such I was invited as the chairman of our CPF cluster board.

In this role I attend an number of functions at the other SAPS stations in our cluster.

The march against the poor service delivery by Montclair SAPS, the elected ward 64 councillor Billie Prinsloo and the Montclair CPF, that Mr Francis refers to was politically motivated prior to the elections. As such I did not believe it appropriate. I must further mention that the small group of marchers were also demanding the disbandment of Montclair CPF. It would therefore be illogical for me to march against myself.

Mr Francis is correct that the march to hand over a memorandum to the Mayor’s office was in part to highlight the ineffective handling of the ‘Whoonga Park’ problem. I must just mention that the mayor’s office did not bother to send a representative to receive the memorandum. The fact that the authorities have just scattered the whoonga addicts into our suburbs is totally unacceptable and has just spread the problem.

A stakeholders meeting was set to take place on 4 July to discuss the Whoonga Park problem. I received notification on 3 July that the meeting was postponed until the MEC for Community Safety and Liaison returns from China. It is interesting that on the evening of 3 July, the law enforcement agencies moved in and dispersed the crowds from that area.

I agree that this was not a long term solution and I will continue to engage with the relevant stakeholders in an effort to resolve this issue.

GAVIN HEGTER

Chairman: Montclair CPF and Brighton Beach CPF cluster board