Neighbourhood watch members from Ward 36 in Crossroads picketed along Govan Mbeki Road near Thabo Mbeki informal settlement on Saturday 22 October calling on the City of Cape Town to fund and supply them with working material. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
They claimed to have been in discussions with the City without any luck. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Monde Venge, the Ward 36 neighbourhood watch coordinator, said with the festive season fast approaching their concerns have increased. He said the group has been tirelessly fighting crime in the area and won\u2019t be able to fulfill its mandate without sufficient working equipment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Venge described their picket as means to raise their concerns. \u201cWe are not safe as safety patrollers because we don\u2019t have suitable working material. Many people who were dedicated to preventing crime in the area dropped out because they felt unsafe. The City is failing us and our community,\u201d he said, adding that they used to get support from the City, but it all stopped during the Covid-19 pandemic. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
He identified jackets, touches and bicycles as some of the things that they need. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe only have t-shirts, bibs, beanies and caps. For us to have a coffee the ward councillor has to take money out of his pocket. The City has dumped us,\u201d he stated. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, Venge stated that they won\u2019t get tired of engaging with the City for them to be funded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ward 36 councillor Nceba Ntshweza, who was part of the picket, said he supports any initiative that prevents crime in his ward. He highlighted car hijackings, robberies and shootings as some of the things that keep him awake at night. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt is great to see such dedicated people who are prepared to risk their lives to protect the community. I\u2019m appealing to whoever is in charge or can assist them to get funds and working equipment to do so. Failing to compensate them can demoralise their spirit,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ntshweza urged the patrollers not to give up and continue doing a great job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
JP Smith, City\u2019s Mayco member for safety and security, said he is aware of the concerns raised by the neighbourhood watch, but the City does not fund any such structures. \u201cThese are all volunteer organisations. We provide them with training and equipment but do not pay or fund them. The equipment provided will come from ward allocations funding,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to Smith, due support has been given to the watch. \u201cLast year, we supported them with reflective bibs and Situational Crime Prevention training. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This year, they supported the ward with Situational Crime Prevention training once again in July, then earlier this month paint was donated to the ward as well for a graffiti removal project\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Neighbourhood watch members from Ward 36 in Crossroads picketed along Govan Mbeki Road near Thabo Mbeki informal settlement on Saturday 22 October calling on the City of Cape Town to fund and supply them with working 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