A RESIDENT of Finnis Street, Bethelsdorp, has come up with a plan to help curb vandalism at substations in the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro.
Justin Williams, who lives opposite a substation, said that he was willing to clean the area around this particular substation, level the ground by getting rid of all the waste, replace the lock and have concrete laid around the substation, making it easier for municipal workers to access the station when necessary.
Williams offered to do this out of his own pocket, in an effort to not only beautify the area, but also to ensure that vandalism decreases, especially if the proper locks were fitted on the doors.
From the balcony of Williams’s double-storey house, one would expect a magnificent view of the area, instead, the substation in an overgrown open field next to a ditch, surrounded by waste and covered in graffiti, is a sad sight.
According to Williams, the eyesore is not the only problem – the number of robberies that had taken place in this open field was a daily concern.
He believed that both the robberies and vandalism could decrease if the substation was secured and the field better taken care of.
“I would really like to involve the community. There are so many unemployed but skilled people in the vicinity. I would like us to plant trees and maybe vegetables in this open field.
“We can cut the grass and take care of it.
“Not only will it help to curb crime, but it will uplift our community and create jobs, especially if the municipality becomes involved and offers each one a little incentive,” he said.
Williams emphasised that he didn’t want any recognition.
“I’m not doing this because I want to be seen by others, but someone needs to take action and put a stop to what is happening in this open field.
“Sometimes thieves and vandals even sit inside the substation, smoking. Other times, they would steal the cables and we would be left without electricity for days. They leave the substation with 28m of proper copper cables. This needs to come to an end,” Williams added.
He has already bought a lock that he thinks would be sufficient. He walked over to the door of the substation and placed the lock against the door, covering it with a small, metal plate. “If the plate is placed on top of the lock, it would be very hard for criminals to break in. There will only be a small space for municipality employees to slide their hands through in order to unlock the door.”
Ward councillor, Helga van Staaden, said that this was an amazing idea and that the municipality was currently in the process of installing spotlights next to the open field. These would be installed as soon as the lockdown period was over.
“It will not only provide light but also be a safety measure. Too many people are affected when substations are vandalised,” she said.
“Justin has a good point with the metal plate. It will make it more difficult for the vandals that are constantly targeting our substations. This is one of the vandalism hot spots and we’ve raised the issue of metal covers for the doors and better locks multiple times,” Van Staaden added.
“I’m very grateful to residents, like Justin, who are willing to take action to uplift and also help protect the community.”
