Watch ‘reclaims’ public spaces for Mandela Month

Eastridge Neighbourhood Watch used Mandela Day as an opportunity to send a message to gangs.

The watch members painted over gang tag graffiti in Don Carlos Road as part of their outreach activities on Friday 18 July. They also partnered with the provincial departments of health and social development, the police, and the Cape Flats YMCA to check the health statuses of residents at the Eastridge Community Centre.

YMCA nurse Michelle Abrahams said they tested residents’ blood pressure, sugar levels and also did HIV testing.

“One woman had a sugar reading of 23,” she said. “And she hadn’t been to the doctor in three years.”

Residents were referred for follow-up care where needed, she said.

Several children were also found to have missed immunisation appointments, Abrahams added, and they too were referred for follow-up care.

The residents were also given jars of hope and sandwiches on the day.

Further down the road, watch members covered gang tags with paint that was sponsored by the City of Cape Town.

Watch chairperson Dierdre Petersen said the wall was one of several spaces in the area that had been tagged to denote gang territory and they were painting it as a sign that they were reclaiming the area.

She said that the focus of both events was to “restore hope” and Mitchells Plain station commander Brig Brian Muller gave a “message of hope” as the keynote speaker.

Children from the area later painted their hand prints on the wall.

“This is a message to gangs,” said the City’s safety liaison officer, Rhelton Jooste. “Hands off our children.”

A busy day of outreach

The neighbourhood watch outreach was one of several others on the day.

In Strandfontein, Advance Edukos held a Back to School fun day for children from their afterschool programmes at the YMCA Campsite.

Programme leader Wendy Pekeur said children played games, took part in a five-a-side soccer tournament and did arts and crafts, as a fun way to close the school holidays.

Several speakers also gave the youth motivational talks, she said.

Firefighters from the Mitchell’s Plain Fire Station also found their way to Strandfontein, to the Sewende Laan informal settlement. Platoon commander Julian Milton said it was the last stop for the firefighters who had visited several other informal settlements in Mitchell’s Plain to hand out meals.

Lentegeur Police Station staff on the other hand visited the Montclair Communicare Centre. Const Navon van Houten said the station’s staff cleaned the facility and picked up litter.