What is our BIGGEST challenge that we face in this community?
Well, if you had driven up Franshoek Drive on Tuesday morning you would have seen it with your own eyes... spread-eagled at the feet of our local security reaction personnel and police officers.
From what I hear, it seems that THREE opportunists - reportedly from Alexandra - rang the bell of a Franshoek Drive home. When no one answered, they jumped the wall and attempted to force their way into the home.
Fortunately they were seen by construction workers up the road who raised the alarm with Fidelity and, together with some domestic gardeners a miscreant was apprehended... later leading to the arrest of two others.
For me, this shows how all DECENT South Africans, regardless of race, colour or creed, are sick & tired of crime and willingly pitch in together to fight it.
As if to underscore the point I am about to make, on Thursday I received a call from an elderly friend who was in a severe state of shock as his daughter-in-law had just been released after a two-hour ordeal of being accosted and tied up in her Blairgowrie home by THREE black teenagers - youngsters - again reportedly stating that they were from Alexandra.
And now this incident report just arrives in my inbox: 'Robyn street, Jukskei Park - The complainant arrived home at approximately 17h55. As she stopped her vehicle to wait for the garage doors to open, three black males accosted her. They pulled her out of the vehicle and forced her into the house where they threatened to rape her if she didn't show the the safe. The complainant opened a safe. The following property was taken by the suspects : ID books and Passports, house keys [with panic alarm and remotes], credit cards, DSTV; DVD player, cellphone, jewellery. The suspects took the complainant back to the garage where they tied her up with electrical cable. They stole her vehicle, a blue Mini Cooper, registration number *******. This vehicle was later recovered by NETSTAR in Alexandra township.'
Notice any commonalities?
My Point: Our challenge will be to proactively stem the influx of opportunistic criminal elements into our midst and thereby to protect our families peace-of-mind and security.
Now don't get me wrong, I am not bleating about living in South Africa. Having traveled widely, I love this place as one of the best locations in the world. Also, lest anyone interpret what I am about to share incorrectly, I'm not being xenophobic in any way at all. I believe that people should be able to relocate freely to improve their lot. However, I also believe that organised and opportunistic crime is a hugely-increasing social phenomenon almost everywhere in the world.
Here's where our challenge gets bigger. If you think that our community challenge is going to get any easier, you've got another think coming. Take a look at this report on economist Mike Schusler's research: More illegals set to flood SA - 23/11/2006 21:13 - here are the key extracts from the report:
- 'South Africa is home to as many as 10 million illegal immigrants and must brace for a flood of new arrivals'
- 'Yes, some of them are involved in criminal activities.'
- 'Schussler said the positives of having so many illegal immigrants far outweighed the negatives for South Africa.'
WE must speak up for MASSIVE ACTION & PREPAREDNESS in our community. WE must be prepared for BIGGER challenges coming - both positive and negative. WE must stimulate NEW IDEAS & INNOVATIONS. WE must support those who recognise that we cannot afford to sit back and rest on our laurels. We must speak up against any lack-of-interest/enthusiasm and incompetence within our own structures.
I'm a believer that the little things are very important - which is why I fume as this week I again drive past scrappy little posters left on street poles for days, graffiti (it's still there outside of Studio Park and Lonehill Village Estate) and developing potholes appearing once again.
Do our service providers honestly have no understanding of the Broken Windows Syndrome?
Personally, I believe it can only be laziness, lack of interest, or gross incompetence that allows such little things to continue unattended in our community. It seems that our service providers management are not touring Lonehill twice daily to see what I see. Sometimes I get the feeling that they are 'majoring in minor things' in their cushy little office environments. Get out and manage by walking around! Soon the long grass is coming because of the big rains... are we ready for it? The little things do count.
And then, the BIG things are MASSIVELY IMPORTANT in my opinion.
Here are some of the biggies (amongst others):
1. Communication about crime in our community. Hey, we're all adults! I, for one, can handle the reality of what's happening around me. But, I want to KNOW about it so that I can make up my own mind as to what to do. I want to know that these gangs are operating in threes, I want to know that they are youngsters, I want to know that our proactive security guards know this so that they can question/follow loiterers. I want to know what is happening in my community that can potentially compromise my family's safety and security, don't you? Let's get past the old nonsense of restricting information to the few, this ain't the apartheid era... this community needs more open revelation of mature information and instant spreading of crime alerts.
2. Strategy, Communication & Marketing. Please someone, SHOW me consistently that we are treating our initiative seriously as a MULTI-million rand per annum initiative... and GROWING it. Show me how EVERYONE who wants to contribute - the astute minds and leaders in this community (they're here in big numbers) - is/are being encouraged to contribute and being harnessed to achieve these BIG objectives. I've already begun to get the feeling that this may unfold, but I'd like to see quarterly OPEN public meetings and highly visible indications/signs/PR demonstrating this commitment.
3. Show me the money - BIG MONEY thinking. Everything we need for our future community initiative success - security, environment, administation, innovation, progress, social responsibility, charity et al - all requires funding. There is a limit to the funding that will come from our internal database. Show me the BIG innovative ideas & projects designed to attract MASSIVE funding from alternative sources. Show me something out-of-the-box, off-the-wall, totally unique, perhaps a world-class initiative, that says we undestand our MASSIVE future challenge for this community: More illegals set to flood SA.
Don't be silent... SPEAK UP..! It is important that WE all share our opinions - intelligent, real discourse even if confrontational and controversial - so that our community leaders can understand what we want and how we think. After all, this is OUR community initiative, WE launched it, WE fund it, WE drive it. WE want to know what's in it for us (WIIFM - what's in it for me) and we want to SEE the clear benefits from making our personal contributions - whether through time, money and/or effort.
Regards
Trevor Nel - 705-2790
Lonehill Resident
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