HANDOVER OF PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT TO NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCHES
On Monday, 24 May 2021, the Executive Mayor of Saldanha Bay Municipality, Alderman Marius Koen hosted special guests, partners and stakeholders at an event where nine, local neighbourhood watches received equipment to assist them with their operational activities.
The following neighbourhood watches (NHW) were represented, namely: Hartbeesfontein Farm Watch (Hopefield), Hopefield, Paternoster, Saldanha, Jacobsbaai, Team Langebaan (Langebaan), Vredenburg Buurtwag (Vredenburg), Vredenburg Ou Dorp (Vredenburg) and Vredenburg Night Vision (Vredenburg.)
The Western Cape Government MEC for Community Safety, Minister Albert Fritz was the keynote speaker and made use of the opportunity to acknowledge the neighbourhood- and farm watches’ chairpersons and members, for their selfless, volunteer work.
Saldanha Bay Municipality’s Director for Corporate and Public Safety Services, Phumzile Mbaliswana, said that he believed the relationship between SBM, law enforcement entities and the neighbourhood watches would only grow stronger. Councillor André Truter, Portfolio Councillor for Corporate Services and Public Safety acknowledged and thanked the local South African Police Services (SAPS) for their assistance and support towards the work of the local neighbourhood and farm watches.
Equipment that were handed out at the event included reflective jackets, pepper spray with pouches, hand cuffs with pouches and torches. Forty (40) bicycles will also be distributed amongst the various neighbourhood watches to assist them with their work within their areas.
Alderman Koen made use of the occasion to convey his sincere appreciation towards all the individuals who are involved in neighbourhood watches and he thanked them for their dedication and commitment towards making communities safer.
Photographs Attached:
- Photograph 1: Minister Albert Fritz, Executive Mayor, Alderman Marius Koen and members of the Saldanha Bay Municipality’s Mayoral Committee, chairpersons and representatives of the neighbourhood and farm watches and officials from the Saldanha Bay Municipality gathered to commemorate the event.
- Photograph 2 & 3: Examples of some of the protective equipment that were presented to the representatives from the local neighbourhood and farm watches.