Note to Editors: Please find English and Afrikaans soundbites by Ald. Cilliers Brink here, and here
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Tshwane welcomes the community action and response by the South African Police Service (SAPS) which led to the recovery of about two tons of stolen cable at the weekend.
On Sunday, public frustration about a power outage in Klerksoord situated in north of Pretoria reached a boiling point after yet another incident of cable theft.
I am told that a team of Tshwane employees, accompanied by local residents, discovered that an informal settlement was being used as a base of operations for cable theft.
SAPS was dispatched, and they responded quickly. The hacked cables as well as tools used for cable theft were reportedly discovered, and an arrest was made.
Today, I am meeting with Mickey van der Westuizen, a resident in the area, to convey my thanks to the Klerskoord community and the police for their swift action.
The incident underscores the importance of not just community involvement in policing, but also what a whole of society approach can mean for addressing issues communities face.
In Tshwane this whole of society approach has taken the form of cooperation agreements between the City and community organisations.
The new ANC/EFF coalition, led by a third-party mayor, Dr. Nasiphi Moya, recently announced their decision to review these agreements.
It is important that in doing so Mayor Moya does not stand in the way of communities taking ownership of their streets, or slap away the hand of cooperation from concerned residents.
By working together to fight crime and serve communities, government and community organisations can achieve far more than any government can achieve alone.