by Rozario Brown
Many Cape Flats residents would often complain about the resources pushed into areas like Claremont, Rondebosch, the Atlantic Seaboard and other leafy suburbs.
The reality is that property owners living in these wealthy suburbs take pride in their homes. They understand the value of their properties and they’ve accepted their homes would probably be their greatest asset.
More importantly, they form functioning resident’s associations, body corporates and other entities to look after their interest. You’ll find the best armed response companies and functional neighbourhood watches operating in these communities.
It pushes up the value of those properties.
Those residents would never tolerate drug dealers doing their trade in full view of them and their children. They would not allow gangs to move into their areas and operate free. They would act to remove those gangs as quickly as they arrive.
They make it their duty to have regular interactions with their elected officials and ward councillors. They hold their councillors accountable and complain about the most minuscule transgressions within their communities, whether it’s a street light not working, dirty parks or minor issues.
They complain, ensure their councillors respond or they harass the mayor, his mayoral committee and the City’s management team. That is the secret to the success of the leafy suburbs.
It is highly possible for residents in areas such as Mitchells Plain, Khayelitsha, Manenberg, Atlantis, Lavender Hill to turn around their communities and create leafy suburbs. Treat property as your greatest asset. By doing some very basic things and coming together as a community you can almost immediately raise the value of your property.
Most properties in Mitchells Plain should really be valued above R1million. Follow the examples of those living in Rondebosch, Clifton, Bishopscourt, Constantia and elsewhere.
Don’t tolerate the gangs. Hold your elected officials accountable. Shut down the drug dens as soon as they pop up and report all forms of criminality in your community to the local police or law enforcement agencies.
That drug house in your street pushes down the value of all the properties in your community. You are all suffering and being disadvantaged. Only the drug dealers benefit. Your property value could immediately increase by thousands of rands simply by getting rid of known drug houses and gang hotspots in your area.
Keep records of all the complaints by writing down the names of those you are complaining to, record the times and dates of phone calls or emails to councillors, escalate your complaints to the mayor, Speaker of council or the premier of the province, if the councillors fails to respond.
You are entitled to have access to the mayor, the premier, members of the executive council and ministers.
You are paying their salaries and they are working on your behalf. These people are not above those who voted them into office.
Complain about lazy or ineffective public representative by writing to your local community newspapers, radio stations and on social media.
Take photos of the dirty parks and upload it onto popular social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and tag the media in.
I would like to urge the community to take ownership of their area. Don’t allow the killings of those innocent children in Mitchell’s Plain and elsewhere on the Cape Flats, to be in vain.
Use their murders as a turning point and take full control of your community. Clean up your community. Demand those in leadership positions actually do their work and hold them accountable.
Don’t delay in getting rid of those who continuously fail the community and do all in your power to unite. Do not allow external forces, politicians and so-called community activists to divide your communities.
Speak out and speak up! Raise your hands, and be counted and remember this, political change can be good, especially where it is needed.
* Rozario Brown is a community activist from Mitchells Plain.
** The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Independent Media.
Cape Argus
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