Residents of Ward 83 came out in their numbers to attend a community meeting on Wednesday, 17 July at the NG Kerk in Roodekrans.
The meeting was also attended by the Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Public Safety, councillor Michael Sun, with the purpose of addressing public issues.
The meeting was chaired by the acting Ward 83 councillor, Caleb Finn. The Ward’s DA candidate, Dr Florence Roberts had the pleasure of introducing Michael Sun to the community before he addressed them.
After Sun’s address, the community members were given an opportunity to raise their concerns as well as pose questions.
One of the concerns raised was that the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) is abusing its resources. “I have a problem with how the JMPD uses their sirens and lights just to pass through traffic and put our lives at risk just so that they can get home quickly,” said one of the residents.
Another resident stated that JMPD tends to make unnecessary arrests, especially during road blocks, solely for the purpose of accumulating high arrest statistics.
Sun advised the residents to report JMPD officials who abuse power or act unlawfully when dealing with the public. He stated that residents should call 0800 203 712 when reporting officials.
Other concerns raised by the community included the crime rate, including the daily house break-ins, and the Florida Licensing Station’s poor service and scams.
Councillor Sun advised the residents to get to know their neighbours so that they can call each other if they see any suspicious activities when no one is home.
“There is an old Chinese saying that states, ‘A near neighbour nearby is better than a distant family relative’,” he said. “This means that if there is something happening at my house when I am not there, it is best to call your neighbour rather than a distant family relative. It is therefore important to know your neighbours and have their numbers,” he said.
He also urged residents to let their neighbours know when they are away for a weekend or going on holiday. He told residents that he will also have a meeting with the neighbourhood watch to discuss ways to decrease crime in the ward.
As far as the Licensing Station is concerned, Sun urged the community to report issues to the manager, Teddy Msimanga. He also mentioned that they are working on systems to improve the service.
