AfriForum’s neighbourhood watches in Mpumalanga participated in AfriForum’s national patrol on 12 March 2021. The mass patrol formed part of the official re-activation of AfriForum’s neigbourhood watch activities which were resumed under level 1 of the lockdown.
About 251 AfriForum members and 397 other safety role players participated in the patrol. The 388 vehicles drove a total distance of 43 430 km. During the patrol 14 incidents were handled successfully.
Some of the other role players that took part were private neighbourhood watches, security companies, community policing forums, tow-truck services, police stations, local businesses, paramedical services and traffic departments.
The purpose of the national patrol is to mobilise communities against crime. A further aim is to improve visibility and cooperation between safety role players on a national as well as a local level.
“Crime is ever-increasing and it is of utmost importance that the state realises it can not fight crime on its own. The lower crime statistics that were recorded during the national patrol clearly indicate that these types of initiatives make a difference. AfriForum neighbourhood watches serve as the eyes and ears of the police and they perform all patrols within prescribed guidelines and the framework of the law,” says Bronwen Pretorius, AfriForum’s Provincial Safety Coordinator for Mpumalanga.
Get involved with your local AfriForum branch: SMS your name to 45353 (R1 per SMS).
