Residents from Kayamandi are currently more concerned about crime in the area than about fire safety. This was according to many residents from Kayamandi attending a recent community awareness session on fire safety.
Stellenbosch Municipality hosted the community safety awareness session on 12 March at the Kayamandi Corridor Centre. Members of the fire department, law enforcement, traffic department, and waste management were present, according to Nevada Hendricks, disaster and risk management practitioner at Stellenbosch Municipality.
“We want to make the community aware of the dangers of fires,” said Oliver Paulse, fire awareness and safety officer. “If the people are not educated about it, they won’t know the dangers and what to do when there is a fire.”
This comes after a series of fires in the community in recent months.
During a recent fire safety briefing held in Kayamandi, members of the Cape Winelands Fire Department explained what to do when there is a fire, and how to prevent it. PHOTO: Anja van Zyl
Residents request visibility and action
While the event was hosted to raise awareness around fire safety, many residents raised issues about crime in the area. Some attendees who spoke during the event said that they wanted to see more safety officials deployed throughout Kayamandi.
“I need [law enforcement] to identify key areas where people are being robbed. They must be visible in those areas,” said Thabang Lepheana, a Kayamandi resident and security guard at Fidelity Security Services. “These people that are sent here today, they are just delivering messages. We need action.”
Officer Xoliseka Kiva from Stellenbosch Municipality Law Enforcement handing out pamphlets to Kayamandi residents. The pamphlets included information about the role and services of law enforcement, as well as their contact details. The fire department, traffic services, and waste management also distributed pamphlets. SMF News was present at the event. PHOTO: Anja van Zyl
The community needs to be ‘hands on’
“The reason we are really struggling to get ahead of the crime is because of the shortage of staff,” said Laurika Williams, a member of law enforcement. “We need the community to be hands on. They are the eyes and ears for the municipality, so if they know there is a hotspot, it’s their responsibility to inform us.”
Regarding the community’s safety concerns, Williams said that it would have been beneficial to have the South African Police Service (SAPS) present.
“In Kayamandi, the crime rate has increased,” claimed Williams. “Only SAPS would be able to give a clear answer to some of the questions that were asked.”
The municipality did not ask SAPS to join the meeting, as the goal of the meeting was to educate residents on fire safety, according to Nevada Hendricks, disaster and risk management practitioner at Stellenbosch Municipality.
“This was not a platform for crime discussions, we merely came to raise awareness,” said Hendricks. “We will include SAPS in the future.”
Members from the Kayamandi community raised concerns about their safety during a recent fire safety briefing. Community members said that they want to see just as many safety officials and patrols in their area as there are in Stellenbosch, according to officer Xoliseka Kiva from the Stellenbosch Municipality Law Enforcement. PHOTO: Anja van Zyl