{"id":46188,"date":"2024-05-28T22:17:41","date_gmt":"2024-05-28T20:17:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/brackenfell-rate-payers-association-launches-campaign-to-address-vagrancy-issues-20240528\/"},"modified":"2025-03-20T01:34:05","modified_gmt":"2025-03-19T23:34:05","slug":"brackenfell-rate-payers-association-launches-campaign-to-address-vagrancy-issues-20240528","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/brackenfell-rate-payers-association-launches-campaign-to-address-vagrancy-issues-20240528\/","title":{"rendered":"Brackenfell Rate Payers Association launches campaign to address vagrancy issues"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt 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,\u201d says spokesperson for BRPA, Andr\u00e9 le Roux.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ALSO READ: <\/strong>\u2018Do not give to homeless\u2019: Ongoing influx of vagrants challenges the Edgemead community<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Le Roux says many complaints were lodged with BRPA in a meeting held last week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA 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,\u201d says Le Roux.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Crimes commited<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cAs a result more than 100 vagrants congregate on this corner on Monday mornings and loiter around for the rest of the day. They urinate against the fences and leave the area littered. In itself the feeding programme is not a problem, its the negative aspects that flow from it that is not acceptable. The many elderly who live here are now scared to come out of their homes. The area has become dirty and unsafe,\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Up in the same street, bin scratchers sell their wares on the pavement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt turns a neat neighbourhood into a messy slump. What they don\u2019t sell they leave behind with the open bags and other rubbish. It\u2019s not fair to ratepayers who have to constantly clean up after them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Le Roux says the neighbourhood watch has a limited scope of what they can and cant do, and law enforcement either don\u2019t respond quick enough or their efforts are in vain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe 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.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read: Homeless people arrested following violent attack on law enforcement officials<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Le Roux says the issue is best tackled with repeated and constant reports to the correct authorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe 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.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n