The civil rights organisation AfriForum this past weekend held its national mass patrol in which approximately 4 000 AfriForum members participated that are involved at the organisation’s 132 neighbourhood and farm watches.
During the patrol, as many as 74 000 km were covered in more than 2 200 vehicles. A total of 17 379 man-hours were voluntarily put in and 108 incidents were successfully handled.
175 other safety role-players were also involved, among which the SAPS, private security institutions, emergency services, traffic services, tow-in services and various community policing forums (CPF’s).
“The success of and participation in AfriForum’s national mass patrol is a clear sign that communities are prioritising their own safety. We cannot rely on the authorities alone for the safety of our communities; we need to take ownership of it ourselves. Communities will need to become actively involved within the framework of the law,” says Hillel Coetzer, AfriForum’s Head of Community Safety for the Northern Region.
“Actions such as these are pursuing a big goal – to establish cooperation and harmony on ground level between role-players for uniform crime combating,” says David Olivier, AfriForum’s Head of Community Safety for the Central Region.
“High visibility is a proactive approach to combat crime and during these actions there are a proven feeling of safety among the community. AfriForum’s safety structures readily take hands with all role-players, but especially with the SAPS. Actions such as the national patrol is a means of reaching out to the police to establish cooperation so that we can help each other to make our communities a safer place for everyone,” concludes Johandré van Zyl, AfriForum’s Head of Community Safety for the Southern Region.
Become involved at your local AfriForum neighbourhood watch or farm watch today: SMS your name to 45353 (R1).