In a bid to counter negative elements resulting from vagrancy in Brackenfell neighbourhoods, Brackenfell Rate Payers Association (BRPA) last week launched an education and awareness campaign.
With the campaign, the association urges community members to report all municipal violations related to vagrants sleeping and gathering in Brackenfell to law enforcement, and to provide the association with reference numbers of the complaints for record purposes.
“It is imperative to report such concerns as soon as we become aware of them. As a community we need to stand and work together with role players to enhance service delivery to residents and businesses in Brackenfell,” says spokesperson for BRPA, André le Roux.
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Le Roux says many complaints were lodged with BRPA in a meeting held last week.
“A vagrant was reported sleeping behind a wall in Kruispad where he leaves heaps of rubbish next to a stormwater pipe. When it starts raining the rubbish will flow into the pipe and block it, affecting everyone in the area. When I spoke to the vagrant he swore at me and walked away and refused to clean up,” says Le Roux.
Crimes commited
In other reports several senior citizens were robbed in the area of Jacaranda street where it crosses Protea Road. On Monday mornings a local church provides coffee and meals to the bin scratchers who frequent the neighbourhood.
he says.
Up in the same street, bin scratchers sell their wares on the pavement.
“It turns a neat neighbourhood into a messy slump. What they don’t sell they leave behind with the open bags and other rubbish. It’s not fair to ratepayers who have to constantly clean up after them.”
Le Roux says the neighbourhood watch has a limited scope of what they can and cant do, and law enforcement either don’t respond quick enough or their efforts are in vain.
“The vagrants come back 10 minutes after the law enforcement officers leave, and fines are useless as the vagrants have no addresses. In many respects their hands are tied.”
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Le Roux says the issue is best tackled with repeated and constant reports to the correct authorities.
“The more complaints law enforcement received the more visible they will be in the area, and with BRPA keeping record it enables us to follow up. Complaints are escalating and the community is tired of this.”
- Residents can report incidences directly to 021 480 7700 and request a unique reference number they must email to ratepayers@brackenfell.org.za. Alternatively they can WhatsApp it to 082 858 7137.
