Haven Hills residents unite to combat crime

Haven Hills residents have become a close-knit community as they work together to combat crime in their suburb.

With the help of foreign national spaza shop owners who have installed CCTV cameras to identify and catch criminals, the residents have established sport clubs for the youth to keep them away from a life of crime.

Resident Tony Plaatjies said by creating a neighbourhood watch, they had succeeded in combating crime.

“We realised last year during the hard lockdown that the amount of domestic violence and criminal activities had increased. Establishing sport clubs after the restrictions were eased was a perfect idea as we noticed that when parents went to work, the children would congregate and consume illegal substances,” said Plaatjies.

He described the relationship the suburb had with four foreign-owned spaza shops as a valued relationship, as they protected and helped one another in making the community a safer place.

“Last year we established four soccer teams for boys and an athletics club for adults. We are now forming a girls-only cycling club. The spaza shop owners have offered to donate four bicycles.”

Plaatjies said the soccer teams were affiliated to the Gompo League and the athletics club to Border Athletics.

“We now have 22 members in the athletics club and 12 girls in the cycling club. We are raising funds for those girls who cannot afford bicycles.”

Plaatjies said the crime rate had decreased around the area of the now abandoned Khayalethu Special School. Criminals had once made the site their haven.

“Our community structure is active in reporting suspicious events. We raised money to install burglar bars in those homes that fall victim to break-ins.

“Young people use those premises when they take drugs. We usually find [the] belongings of residents who've had break-ins there.”

Plaatjies said residents did regular patrols and the SAPS also did daily patrols.

“We work closely with the SAPS, to the extent that we have given them the targeted points where crime tends to be high. The spaza shop owners have committed themselves to pay for the petrol the neighbourhood watch members use. Our dream is to live in an environment where our children and grandchildren will be safe,” said Plaatjies.

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