Gear worth R20 000 donated to Thembalethu Neighbourhood Watch

GEORGE NEWS - Thembalethu Neighbourhood Watch is all geared up with personal protective equipment worth R20 000, thanks to a donation from the Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM). The handover took place on Tuesday afternoon, 15 November.

Chairpersons of the different sectors within the Thembalethu Neighbourhood Watch received 20 torches, 90 batons and 20 two-way radios, which were handed over by GRDM Deputy Mayor Adv Gert van Niekerk.

GRDM was approached by the Thembalethu Area Based Team (ABT), formed by various community structures in Thembalethu, that requested assistance for the neighbourhood watch due to the high crime rate in the area.

A request for personal protective equipment was received later during a neighbourhood watch and community forum (CPF) indaba.

Van Niekerk thanked the members of the Thembalethu Neighbourhood Watch for their commitment and willingness to stand out and take the lead.

"To sit at home and point fingers, to complain, to 'moan and groan', is always the easy route, but the most difficult part is to wake up in the early hours and to go out on patrol and to make sure your neighbourhood is safe - that makes you heroes," he said.

Representatives from the Western Cape Department of Community Safety, members of the GRDM mayco, the executive members of the Thembalethu CPF, the chairpersons and secretaries of the three sectors of Thembalethu Neighbourhood Watch and members of the police were in attendance.

Representatives from different spheres of provincial and local government were present.