AfriForum neighbourhood watches patrol 77 000 km in national mass patrol
AfriForum’s 169 neighbourhood and farm watch structures joined forces on Friday night (13 October) and patrolled a total of 77 109 km during their third national mass patrol for the year. This forms part of AfriForum’s national safety strategy whereby volunteers in this organisation’s safety structures take responsibility for safety in their own communities. During Friday night’s patrols these structures responded to 145 separate incidents.
Most of AfriForum’s Pretoria based neighbourhood watches kicked off their patrols from the Voortrekker Monument southwest of the city. The monument was lit green for the duration of weekend to signal hope and to commemorate the victims of farm attacks.
Members from across the country partook in patrols in their own communities and responded to various incidents. In Bethlehem, in the Free State, the AfriForum neighbourhood watch assisted the local South African Police Service (SAPS) in operations to track down various wanted criminals. In Moreleta Park, in Pretoria, the local AfriForum neighbourhood watch broke up a drug fuelled party in a public area. Various stolen items and narcotics were recovered at the scene. In Brakpan, in eastern Gauteng, AfriForum members also assisted at the scene of a building fire.
“We are sincerely grateful to these volunteers who dedicate themselves selflessly to help protect their communities. AfriForum will continue to expand its safety structures and increase quality safety training to its growing number of patrollers. It’s time to take the safety of our communities in our own hands,” says Jacques Broodryk, AfriForum’s spokesperson for Community Safety.
