The Wright Park CPF held a “get to know your neighbour braai” on Saturday at Indaba Park.
The event started off with a prayer at the House of Grace Church in Pollak Park to pray for the crime rate to be reduced and the safety of patrollers.
Wright Park CPF chairperson Arles Baloyi says the aim of the braai was for the community to get to know each other.
“With the issue of crime, the first thing to fighting this situation is through knowing your neighbour.
“When neighbours know each other it becomes easier to identify between them and a thief and it also builds trust within the community itself, knowing that residents can rely on their neighbours when they are not home,” says Baloyi.
The Wright Park CPF wishes to raise awareness within the area to help combat the issue of crime.
“We cannot do it alone as the CPF, we need more people to join us,” says Baloyi.
Baloyi says the get-to-know your neighbour braai has been a major success and they wish to host more events to bring residents together.
Busi Mphali, a resident, says she thoroughly enjoyed getting to know residents who were at the event.
“Some residents didn’t know each other and its a good thing that they came out in numbers, at least we can now drive around knowing who is who because of this braai,” says Mphali.
Mphali also urges residents who weren’t able to make it to the braai to avail themselves when the CPF hosts events for the community.
Vunyiwe Maphalala and her husband Themba say they enjoyed themselves and will also make a point to invite residents from surrounding areas to join them at the next CPF event.
“We felt this is what we needed as the community because there is a lot that our neighbours are facing that we’re not aware of. The braai brought so much attention to other stories within the area that we didn’t even know,” says Vunyiwe.