Afriforum- Success: February 2019

NORTHERN REGION

GAUTENG

• The civil rights organisation AfriForum audited the landfill sites on the East Rand as part of its national project to measure the quality of landfill sites in South Africa.
• AfriForum’s Alberton, Brakpan, Germiston and Springs neighbourhood watches received training, during which approximately 70 patrollers attended theatrical training.

Kempton Park

• AfriForum’s Kempton Park branch was thanked by the community for establishing and expanding their recycling initiative in collaboration with M.E.S.
• AfriForum’s Kempton Park neighbourhood watch provided assistance in the following ways:
  • The arrest of a suspect in possession of cocaine.
  • Response to a burglary and handing over of the scene to the SAPS.
  • Assisting a security company to hand over a suspicious vehicle with false number plates to the EMPD.
  • Reaction to an armed robbery at Aston Manor Liquor Store, in collaboration with several security companies.
  • Medical assistance of a resident in need.
  • Contacting the child protection unit after the neighbourhood watch received information about child abuse at a day care centre.

Alberton

• AfriForum’s Alberton neighbourhood watch provided assistance during the resolving of a suicide attempt.

 Springs

• AfriForum’s Springs branch held a mass cleaning action at the Old Spar building.
• AfriForum’s Springs branch held a meeting with the municipal manager to address problems in the town.

 Benoni

• AfriForum’s Benoni neighbourhood watch provided assistance during the cutting and removal of trees in streets after a big storm caused damage to the area.

 Brakpan

• AfriForum’s Brakpan neighbourhood watch provided assistance in the following ways:
  • An alleged illegal land grab in Brenthurst, where trespassers were erecting structures.
  • Finding a missing teenager and returning her to her parents.
  • Placing a homeless pregnant woman and her fiancé in their parents’ home.
  • Finding a missing pregnant woman from Pretoria and reuniting her with her family.
  • A crime scene where a victim was assisted with medical treatment until EMS arrived at the scene.

Edenvale

• AfriForum’s Edenvale neighbourhood watch, in collaboration with several security institutions, launched a mass operation during which drugs, illegal cigarettes, 30 stolen flat screen TVs, other stolen goods and 4 stolen vehicles were confiscated.

Germiston

• After sustained pressure by AfriForum’s Germiston branch, several trees against electrical fences were trimmed, and streetlights and sewer pipes were also repaired.

 

 MPUMALANGA

Secunda

• AfriForum’s TEKS neighbourhood watch participated in visibility patrols with the SAPS.
• AfriForum’s TEKS neighbourhood watch in February cleaned several green strips and cut the grass in these spots.
• AfriForum’s TEKS neighbourhood watch helped to regulate traffic at an accident scene.
• AfriForum’s Secunda branch painted a flat in a retirement home.

 Witbank

• AfriForum’s Witbank branch rolled out phase 2 of their project and painted various roads and speed bumps near schools and replaced stop signs.

 Standerton

• AfriForum’s Standerton neighbourhood watch helped to apprehend three suspects who robbed PEP Stores in Volksrust.
• AfriForum’s Standerton neighbourhood watch participated in visibility patrols in cooperation with the SAPS.
• AfriForum’s Standerton neighbourhood watch received tactical training.

 Piet Retief

• AfriForum’s Piet Retief neighbourhood watch held security patrols.

White River

• AfriForum’s White River neighbourhood watch helped to apprehend farm attackers after a farm attack and also provided assistance after two other attacks that took place in the area.
• AfriForum’s White River branch audited the municipal landfill site as part of the annual national landfill site audit project.

 Nelspruit

• AfriForum’s Cairn-Burnside farm watch received new equipment for some of the response members.
• AfriForum’s Cairn-Burnside farm guard provided assistance at an accident scene on the N4.
• AfriForum’s Nelspruit branch’s youth wing completed a DIY action at Pro Gratia School.
• AfriForum’s Nelspruit branch audited the municipal landfill site as part of the annual national landfill site audit project.

 Bethal

• The AfriForum branch in Bethal tested a new tar product before launching the branch’s large pothole project.
• AfriForum’s Bethal branch audited the municipal landfill site as part of the annual national landfill site audit project.

 Machadodorp

• AfriForum’s Machadodorp branch audited the municipal landfill site as part of the annual national landfill site audit project.

 Belfast

• AfriForum’s Belfast branch audited the municipal landfill site as part of the annual national landfill site audit project.

 Lydenburg

• AfriForum’s Lydenburg branch audited the municipal landfill site as part of the annual national landfill site audit project.

 Middelburg

• AfriForum’s Middelburg branch audited the municipal landfill site as part of the annual national landfill site audit project.
• AfriForum’s Middelburg farm watch assisted the SAPS after a farm attack.

 

CENTRAL REGION

NORTH WEST

• The following AfriForum branches conducted a municipal landfill site audit: Hertzogville, Bloemhof, Christiana, Delareyville, Sannieshof, Schweizer-Reneke and Vryburg.

Vryburg

• AfriForum’s Vryburg youth branch held an ice cream eating competition to introduce AfriForum Youth.

Christiana

• AfriForum’s Christiana neighbourhood watch helped the SAPS to close roads during protests in Bloemhof.
• AfriForum’s Christiana neighbourhood watch held a white light patrol.
• AfriForum’s Christiana branch chose a new management and held an annual meeting.

Bloemhof

• AfriForum’s Bloemhof neighbourhood watch patrolled the town and kept it safe during unrests.
• AfriForum’s Bloemhof branch cleaned the town before the international fishing competition.

Potchefstroom

• The DIY team of AfriForum’s Potchefstroom branch repaired almost 401 potholes in the town, thus making an important contribution to road safety.

Ventersdorp

• AfriForum’s Ventersdorp branch repaired several potholes in the town, after the municipality had ignored numerous complaints.

Hartbeesfontein

• AfriForum’s Hartbeesfontein neighbourhood watch assisted the SAPS during a raid where stolen copper and gold worth R800 000 were confiscated, and the branch also helped transport the goods to the Klerksdorp Police Station.

 

FREE STATE

 Uitsig

• AfriForum’s Uitsig neighbourhood watch arrested a suspect for attempted theft of a gate motor. Equipment for use in burglaries was found with him.
• AfriForum’s Uitsig neighbourhood watch arrested a suspect after he had stolen a mountain bike and two fishing rods in a house in the neighbourhood.
• AfriForum’s Uitsig neighbourhood watch arrested a man who fatally stabbed another man with a knife after a fight at a cemetery in the neighbourhood.

 Sasolburg

• AfriForum’s Sasolburg branch cut 181 911 m² of grass in Sasolburg and Vaalpark to ensure that parks and green strips were clean again.
• AfriForum’s Sasolburg branch replaced 56 streetlights in Vaalpark because the town often has problems with numerous streetlights that are out of order.

Parys

• AfriForum’s Paris branch replaced important road signs after numerous road signs in the town were faded and created a security risk.

 

KWAZULU-NATAL

• AfriForum branches in KwaZulu-Natal discussed several SAPS problems with the SAPS at a provincial priority committee meeting.

Newcastle

• AfriForum’s Newcastle branch held a management meeting.
• AfriForum’s Newcastle branch executed a municipal landfill site audit.
• AfriForum’s Newcastle branch performed water tests in the Ncandu River as part of an investigation.

 Vryheid

• AfriForum’s Vryheid branch helped protect the community during protest actions.
• AfriForum’s Vryheid branch secured the safety of the community by doing daily patrols.
• AfriForum’s Vryheid branch organised training in legal aspects for their patrollers.
• AfriForum’s Vryheid branch’s radio network was further expanded in the agricultural community.
• AfriForum’s Vryheid branch filed a complaint with Nersa to investigate the municipality’s poor electricity service delivery.

 Richards Bay

• AfriForum’s Richards Bay branch helped the SAPS to apprehend a criminal.
• AfriForum’s Richards Bay branch held a management meeting.

Margate

• AfriForum’s Margate branch cleaned beaches.
• AfriForum’s Margate branch held foot patrols in their community.
• AfriForum’s Margate branch held area patrols with the local CPF.
• AfriForum’s Margate branch held a fundraising campaign to support the Hoërskool Driehoek victims.

 Hluhluwe

• AfriForum’s Hluhluwe branch undertook several security projects with the SAPS.
• AfriForum’s Hluhluwe branch performed a municipal landfill site audit.

 Pongola

• AfriForum’s Pongola branch secured the safety of their community through proactive patrols.
• AfriForum’s Pongola branch performed a municipal landfill site audit.

 Paulpietersburg

• AfriForum’s Paulpietersburg branch discussed the situation at the municipal landfill site with the national Department of Environmental Affairs.
• AfriForum’s Paulpietersburg branch secured the safety of their community through proactive farm patrols.
• AfriForum’s Paulpietersburg branch performed a municipal landfill site audit.

Utrecht

• AfriForum’s Utrecht branch performed a municipal landfill site audit.

 

SOUTHERN REGION

NORTHERN CAPE

 Kuruman

• AfriForum’s Kuruman neighbourhood watch issued hand radios to certain schools in the area, for their safety.
• AfriForum’s Kuruman neighbourhood watch fire team helped extinguish fires at buildings.

 Kathu

• AfriForum’s Kuruman neighbourhood watch issued hand radios to certain schools in the area, for their safety.
• AfriForum’s Kuruman neighbourhood watch fire team helped extinguish fires at buildings.

 Springbok

• AfriForum’s Springbok branch requested to see the qualifications of the municipality’s technical head.

 

EASTERN CAPE

Port Elizabeth

• Management members attended a safety initiative in Graaff-Reinet. Valuable inputs were made and an undertaking was given that Graaff-Reinet would be assisted in establishing a branch and structures.

Gamtoos

• Members of the proto team of the AfriForum branch in Gamtoos were quickly deployed during a farm attack. Assistance was provided to stabilise the situation and secure the area. They also participated in an intensive search for the attackers. Many invaluable lessons were learned during the action.

 

WESTERN CAPE

 George

• AfriForum’s George branch introduced a brand new management to the George community at a general meeting. They announced the plans for the coming year, and these were very well received by the community.

Oudtshoorn

• AfriForum’s Oudtshoorn branch management members held a very successful meeting with the Western Cape MP, Mr Simmers. Various issues concerning the poorly functioning Oudtshoorn Local Municipality were discussed and an action plan was agreed upon.

Hessequa

• AfriForum’s Hessequa branch presented excellent self-defence and safety training in collaboration with Tiger Kai Tactical Training Group. It was attended by 30 AfriForum members and it was clear that everyone returned home with much more confidence after the training.

Vredendal

• AfriForum’s Vredendal branch recently established the Spuitdrif farm watch.

Velddrif

• AfriForum’s Velddrif branch participated in the national landfill site audit project.

Malmesbury

• AfriForum’s Malmesbury branch participated in the national landfill site audit project.

 Cape Town North

• AfriForum’s Cape Town North branch executed a safety audit at the Laerskool Bellville-Noord.

 Kraaifontein

• AfriForum’s Kraaifontein branch participated in the national landfill site audit project.

Stellenbosch

• AfriForum’s Stellenbosch branch participated in the national landfill site audit project.
• AfriForum’s Stellenbosch branch executed a safety audit at Paul Roos Gymnasium.

Helderberg Basin

• AfriForum’s Helderberg Basin branch participated in the national landfill site audit project.