When Athwood Primary in Hanover Park opened for classes in January 2014, the school was intact " there had not been a single incident of vandalism over the December 2013 holidays. Picture: David Ritchie When Athwood Primary in Hanover Park opened for classes in January 2014, the school was intact " there had not been a single incident of vandalism over the December 2013 holidays. Picture: David Ritchie
Relentlessly motivating one’s fellow residents pays off, writes Murray Williams.
Two years ago – January 17, 2014 – the Cape Argus painted a grim picture. All-too-familiar: pupils and teachers returning to their schools for the New Year – to find them devastated by holiday thieves and vandals.
Classrooms and ablution blocks would be stripped of pipes, lights, fittings “and whatever else the thieves could rip out of the ceilings or walls. Windows would be smashed, roofs and ceilings torn open”, the leader article described.
“It must have been a dismal and depressing sight for children, their teachers and their parents.”
But the Cape Argus had stumbled upon the story of one school, Athwood Primary in Hanover Park, which had bucked the trend. When it opened for classes in January 2014, the school was intact – there had not been a single incident of vandalism over the December 2013 holidays.
How? The school had succeeded in enlisting the community’s support. “Residents gave up their time to safeguard the school themselves by patrolling the premises.”
This was not a new concept – not even vaguely. Instead, this was a simple story of a “community in action” – as people have done since man stood up straight for the first time.
Fast-forward to this past week, in a suburb in Somerset West. In the space of about 10 days, one particular suburb has been hit extremely hard by burglars.
One burglar evaded 21 beams around a property, removed a 1.8m-high window, stole what he wanted from inside the house, and even disconnected a fan to steal the extension lead, while a guest of the family slept on a couch metres away.
The burglar escaped the suburb easily – as in all the other cases.
The residents’ WhatsApp group blazed away – traumatised, angry, exasperated families crying out for “something to be done”.
And then the question was put to them: “What are YOU doing about it, as a community?”
Silence.
It seems that being affluent is no guarantee against laziness, community apathy. A year earlier, the suburb faced a similar crime wave. They met, spoke in loud voices, talked tough. And then did nothing. Zero. No Neighbourhood Watch, no patrols, no structure, no plan. Big hat, no cattle (to use a Texan metaphor).
The world sure changes fast. Innovation enables us to achieve bewildering new things. In safety, too – digital security cameras streaming live images to one’s cellphone, geo-located teams of “first responders”, drones, etc.
But some fundamentals stay the same. There’s simply no replacement for engaged, sustained active citizenship, in healthy, busy communities. Structured team effort. Micro-local.
It’s hard work, relentlessly motivating one’s fellow residents.
But it pays off.
It has since the dawn of time.
What’s your plan?
* Williams’ “Shooting from the Lip” column appears in the Cape Argus every Monday.
Cape Argus