Cooperation between AfriForum neighbourhood watches and SAPS pays off
Two successful arrests were made in the past 24 hours by AfriForum neighbourhood watches in cooperation with the SAPS. The incidents took place in Kempton Park and Vanderbijlpark respectively.
The AfriForum neighbourhood watch in Kempton Park pursued a hijacked vehicle as far as Tembisa, where it was eventually traced.
This neighbourhood watch received a call last night that a Kia Rio had been hijacked in Bamboo Street. The vehicle moved in the direction of Tembisa and could continually be followed by means of the signal of a cell phone in the vehicle. Kempton Park’s SAPS initially helped the neighbourhood watch after which the Tembisa SAPS and the Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD) were summoned to support the neighbourhood watch further until the hijacked vehicle was found.
“I am extremely proud of what the neighbourhood watch achieved, as well as the manner in which the SAPS and the EMPD supported us. Cooperation with the police and other role-players can only lead to more successes,” says Jan Vermaak, Chairperson of the AfriForum neighbourhood watch in Kempton Park.
The AfriForum neighbourhood watch in Vanderbijlpark also made a massive breakthrough by bringing down a murder suspect. This follows after the Chairperson of the local neighbourhood watch, Corné Cronjé, received information that a murder had been committed. The information was immediately followed up and the SAPS summoned a flying squad to follow the suspect’s trail in cooperation with the local neighbourhood watch. The suspect was eventually arrested in River Road.
“It is already clear that cooperation with the SAPS is paying off. Proactive action led to successful arrests and it shows that the community can make a real difference by becoming actively involved,” says Wico Swanepoel, AfriForum’s Provincial Coordinator for Gauteng South.
“We would like to thank everyone who contributed to the successful arrests,” concludes Swanepoel.
Become involved at your local AfriForum neighbourhood watch. You can help to safeguard your region: SMS “Buurtwag” to 45342 (R1).
