GRAAFF-REINET NEWS — Two meetings held during last month provided both welcome feedback, and much food for thought. In her monthly newsletter, Ward 2 councillor Linda Botha kept her constituents up to date with this information, as well as other issues.

At the Community Police Forum (CPF) meeting held early in the month, it was announced that warrants of arrest are now being issued to illegal car guards, thanks to members of SAPS and the local magistrates.

This has been a worrying problem in the town for a long time, and residents are sick and tired of being harassed and often verbally abused by these men.

As harassment is treated as a minor crime, after arrest and conviction the offenders are given suspended sentences. However, should they re-appear on the streets as car guards, they will be arrested and imprisoned.

Members of the CPF are also running programs at schools throughout Graaff-Reinet to educate children about the dangers of drug abuse. Hento Davids, Chair of Restorative Justice, informed those at the meeting that “Safer School” committees are being established in every school to curb offences such as drug abuse and bullying.

This department (Restorative Justice) is also very involved in the rehabilitation of offenders released from prison.

At the IDP Representatives’ Forum meeting later that month, two items stood out. The Chair of the Department Of Sports Recreation Arts and Culture (DSRAC), Hastings Mqhayi, pointed out that many municipal buildings are not catering for the disabled (e.g. Robert Sobukwe and the Town Hall) and suggested that the municipality needs to deal with this as a matter of priority.

Cobus Ferreira, project manager of the Department of Water and Sanitation for the Sarah Baartman District Municipality, stressed that once the Graaff-Reinet Water Supply project is completed, it will become the full responsibility of the local municipality. He asked the Mayor and Councillors to educate their communities to guard against vandalism and destruction of this project, as already doors have been broken, cables cut and one of the pumps was even stolen out of the borehole.

Four of the borehole stations have been vandalised costing the contractor over R30 000 each time to repair.

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