08 March 2009
Premier Mashatile to honours thousands of Gauteng safety community volunteers
Gauteng Premier Paul Mashatile, together with the MEC for Community Safety, Firoz Cachalia, and the Executive Mayor of Tshwane, Dr Gwen Ramokgopa, honoured almost 20 000 community safety volunteers on Saturday, 7 March 2009.
In an event that took place in Pilditch Stadium, Tshwane, Mashatile committed the Gauteng Provincial Government (GPG) to support this initiative. "Our government intends to double the number of community safety volunteers, which is currently more 17 000, to ensure that there is enough policing visibility in all precincts in the province including townships, suburbs and informal settlements to fight crime. We will continue to engage the business sector to assist with resources to ensure that volunteers are at least able sustain themselves," he said.
Mashatile also appealed to communities and local businesses across the province to join hands with community patrollers and CPFs as well as law enforcement agencies to participate actively in combating crime to make Gauteng a safer place to live, work and play. Said Mashatile: "Building partnerships with communities is of fundamental importance. Together we can do it!"
Amongst the objectives of the event was to celebrate the contributions of volunteers who have ensured that communities across the Province are safe. These volunteers are living proof that a social movement against crime has practically taken root in Gauteng. It is through the contributions of these volunteers, working closely with the police, that the GPG is confident that the forthcoming Confederations Cup as well as the 2010 FIFA World Cup would be peaceful. The GPG is pulling all stops to ensure that our local fans and tourists who come to these events are safe.
Also speaking during the event MEC Cachalia said he has no doubt that the province is ready to host a peaceful and successful Confederations and World Cups. "These volunteers will play an important role in the forthcoming elections. The people 20 000 we have here today are only our volunteers since we wanted to honour and celebrate with them. This event was not opened to the general public, if it was we would have had well in access of 60 000 people," he said.
Cachalia said his department is doing everything to support these volunteers with necessary equipment and training skills that can make them employable. He said: "It is in this context that we have ensured that each and every patroller is screened and thereafter undergo accredited skills development training. We have developed partnership with institutions of higher learning such as the University of Pretoria to ensure that knowledge is imparted. Only last week, some of our CPF members graduating at Pretoria University. We have also ensured that our patrollers are insured should they be harmed in the line of duty. Many are receiving food vouchers as they come from indigent families."
Below are the volunteer groups that won prices, which included bicycles:
Best patroller groups
• Sebokeng
• Meadowlands
• Ennerdale
Best drilling group:
• Orlando
• Sebokeng
• Ethwathwa
A number of stakeholders, the South African Police Service, Metro Police Departments from Ekurhuleni, Johannesburg and Tshwane participated in the event.
Ends
Notes:
Below are some of the patrollers you can contact for quotes:
• Mr. Taele 0837627431 (Dobsonville)
• Parks 083 526 9820 (Mohlakeng)
• Teddy Martins 079 696 0083 (Orlando)
• Thabo 083 330 6352 (Sebokeng)
• Nthabiseng 073 059 7455 (Ivory Park)
• Malcom 076 357 8036 (Meadowlands)
For more information contact:
Mandla Radebe on (011) 689 3633 / 083 288 8915
Issued by: Department of Community Safety in Gauteng
For media releases, speeches and news visit the Gauteng Provincial Government's Website at www.gautengonline.gov.za
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