Townships organise private security to do police work

[schumi]

“We as a community decided to assist police to reduce crime in Musina. We have to take it step by step from one township to another, forming neighbourhood watch groups in each township who will work as security guards,” says Alpheus Mamafa, a community leader.

“Since our own security started patrolling … we have not heard of any burglaries at night and we are very pleased we are getting there,” says Mamafa.

The neighbourhood watch roll out to a township starts by calling a community meeting where people volunteer to be guards. The community vets the list of names and these are then registered with Mahosi Protection Service.

Many businesses in Musina are under Mahosi Protection Services, named after its proprietor, Mahosi Nelwamondo.

Township residents contribute R150 per month. The guards are paid R2,000 a month. Contributing households are identified with a sticker.

Mahosi neighbourhood watches were introduced to Mushongo-Ville in February and to Nancefield in September. Each township has one vehicle and 14 security guards. Wearing reflector vests, they patrol Monday to Thursday from 10pm till 6am and Friday to Sunday from 11pm to 5am. Each patrol has one armed member.

Sinah Masebe from Mushongo-Ville said: “People in our area were tired of reporting cases to the police because police could not do much to reduce crime in the area. Now that the guards are patrolling at night, crime has gone down very much. We are happy that these guards are doing a good job.”

More at: https://www.groundup.org.za/article/townships-organise-private-security-do-police-work/

 

[R13...]

Interesting. I've seen something similar in parts of Soweto.

 

[chrisc]

We have had the same here in Plumstead and Diep River for several years.

 

[TheChamp]

Good thing that it is becoming formalised.

 

[Tokolotshe]

Didn't Clifton also hire a private security firm ...

 

[saor]

Be cool if they could provide some backup when medics & emergency services are in the area.

 

[R13...]

Be cool if they could provide some backup when medics & emergency services are in the area.

Are there incidents of medic robbery in the area?

 

[airborne]

If this works and spreads it would be awesome, it would allow people that are otherwise very vulnerable to claw back a sense of self determination and control. It would go a long way to building solid social structures in areas where they have been broken for many many years. Initiatives like this are literally the only way forward for people that can't rely on the police to do their job and can't afford to move/install better security/pay for armed response.

 

[Nanfeishen]

If this works and spreads it would be awesome, it would allow people that are otherwise very vulnerable to claw back a sense of self determination and control. It would go a long way to building solid social structures in areas where they have been broken for many many years. Initiatives like this are literally the only way forward for people that can't rely on the police to do their job and can't afford to move/install better security/pay for armed response.

Couldn't agree more.
I always believe if the state fails in its duty to protect and serve , it is the right and the duty of the people to do what they can to ensure their communities are protected.
Good for them.

 

[Slootvreter]

Didn't Clifton also hire a private security firm ...

But they were racists and had to be removed

 

[Tokolotshe]

But they were racists and had to be removed

Yep, the racists voted for the wrong party, took responsibility for them and their neighbours, managed to keep their area livable. The ANC can't have that!

 

[SoldierMan]

Some good news. Like it!

 

[requiem]

Why is this acceptable in townships and not in Clifton

 

[Tokolotshe]

Why is this acceptable in townships and not in Clifton

Clifton will never vote for the ANC. Who stirred the pot in Clifton?

 

[RedViking]

Won't work where the taxi bosses control the town.

 

[pinball wizard]

So, the same as every other neighbourhood in SA then?

 

[access]

so 150bux protection money

 

[Mephisto_Helix]

You know the police service is arse and crime is out of hand when even the townships resort to what whitey has been doing for ages ….. imagine the governclowns actually got punished for their failure by this lot

 

[ForceFate]

You know the police service is arse and crime is out of hand when even the townships resort to what whitey has been doing for ages ….. imagine the governclowns actually got punished for their failure by this lot

Why is this even about race/ethnicity?

 

[Tokolotshe]

Why is this even about race/ethnicity?

Tbh, it's more about the government than anything else. What are the other people doing? I myself have held a flag up for communities taking responsibility for people to police their own neighborhoods (but skip the vigilante part - not acceptable).

All this is about those responsible for protecting us failing. Some people have part of the answers. If it's white people, great. I'm sure they won't mind even teaching their brown, Asian and black co-countrymen how to do it effectively, just like they have with other things. Likewise I wish we could do so with all parts of the small daily problems that literally can turn life to shyte at a moment's notice as a nation.

Of course this is not to the national governments advantage. They need the scapegoats and red herrings. Who started the shystorm in Clifton and why (once we dilute the twitteratchi kool aid).