Safety On The Spruit

[Pusher]

Let's make an effort to help clean up the Spruit.

 

BRAAMFONTEIN SPRUIT

PLEASE SUPPORT THIS PETITION TO ENSURE WE CREATE A SAFER CYCLING ENVIRONMENT ALONG THE SPRUIT

The Parkmore Community Association is challenging all residents/users of the spruit to support the drive to motivate the City by submitting at least 6000 individual petition letters by November 2013.

You are all well aware of the issue of the squatters along the Braamfontein Spruit that runs through our suburbs. It has become apparent over the last few months that the number of squatters setting up camp along the Spruit is increasing at an alarming rate. The structures they are erecting are becoming more permanent and in some instances they are now growing crops alongside the river. We have all voiced our concerns to the ward councillors.
However, the city council is not recognising that there is a problem due to the fact that we have not complained about this issue with them frequently enough. As a consequence, our councillors are being told the “there is no problem” and the city is not reacting to the issue.

There is absolutely no time for it to “be someone else’s problem” – it is our problem, it is here and it is now.

(Please mail manager@parkmore.org.za to request the petition form) Council will only accept one petition per person. This means that each person petitioning this, has to fill out their own form. Please do so as a matter of urgency we need these petitions completed and handed in to councillors.

Please accept this challenge. If residents ignore this petition and the problem escalates you will only have yourselves to blame!

Julian Ortlepp

Chairman

PARKMORE COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION NPC

Non Profit Company incorporated under the Company Act 71 of 2008
Registration No. 1999/025688/08
PO Box 650508 Benmore 2010
Email: manager@parkmore.org.za
Cell: 083 269-6450

Edited September 16, 2013 by Pusher

[Uni]

While I understand why this petition has been put out, I can't help but wonder what does it expect to achieve. The fact that squatters exists is because we have such poverty and lack of infrastructure to house them properly. I'm willing to be that most of these people squatting aren't the one perpetuating the cyclejackings - where would these squatters be put?

 

It's like the clean up before the world cup - then afterwards the street kids suddenly reappeared. This suggests that the vagrants are a nuisance for this particular area and they want them removed and placed somewhere else to be someone else's problem, rather than actually tackling the root of the problem.

 

Has it been raised? If the petition succeeds in terms of numbers received - what then?

[Shaunas]

While I understand why this petition has been put out, I can't help but wonder what does it expect to achieve. The fact that squatters exists is because we have such poverty and lack of infrastructure to house them properly. I'm willing to be that most of these people squatting aren't the one perpetuating the cyclejackings - where would these squatters be put?

 

It's like the clean up before the world cup - then afterwards the street kids suddenly reappeared. This suggests that the vagrants are a nuisance for this particular area and they want them removed and placed somewhere else to be someone else's problem, rather than actually tackling the root of the problem.

 

Has it been raised? If the petition succeeds in terms of numbers received - what then?

 

What he said

[Danger Dassie]

If only it were that simple. It's a complex issue and a lot of the responsibility for the vagrants is the very people and businesses in the area exploiting these guys as indentured labour.

As an example, some developers employ people at R60 a day, that doesn't cover taxi for most of them. So they squat on the Spruit and go home on weekends or once a month etc ....

[ChUkKy]

Ill sign the petition. I hope it helps because the only real time the ANC sees anything is if a cheque arrives with it.

 

If they didnt breed like rats, we wouldnt have as much poverty as we do and squatters ruining our green belt

[Hennie VR]

While I understand why this petition has been put out, I can't help but wonder what does it expect to achieve. The fact that squatters exists is because we have such poverty and lack of infrastructure to house them properly. I'm willing to be that most of these people squatting aren't the one perpetuating the cyclejackings - where would these squatters be put?

 

It's like the clean up before the world cup - then afterwards the street kids suddenly reappeared. This suggests that the vagrants are a nuisance for this particular area and they want them removed and placed somewhere else to be someone else's problem, rather than actually tackling the root of the problem.

 

Has it been raised? If the petition succeeds in terms of numbers received - what then?

 

What are you saying exactly? Tackle the root of the problem....

 

Should we now go and provide proper housing for these people? Aren't we already doing that by paying our taxes and the government builds them houses.

 

These people are building temporary structures in a area which they should not. They are unsightly, dangerous and reduce the value of the property around it. They mess all over the place make fires which cause pollution which further reduce the value of property around it. Then there is crime....... even if its petty crime it still stays crime. But crime escalates if its not tackled properly and soon you will have murders being committed and rape etc.

 

Do you live next to the spruit?

[Gambithunt]

We all know why squatters exist, heck we live in SA. It doesnt mean that it's ok or that people shouldnt try and remove them from the spruit.

 

Of course it should be carried out in the most civil manor no one is disputing this but to ask "what does it help to achieve" seems silly when it's pretty self explanatory - clean the spruit up (i.e., no more human feces, rubbish and fires), relocate the squatters to a place more suitable to a civil existence.

[Super_mil]

Well as a resident of Parkmore I use the Field n Study weekly to walk my dogs. I've signed the petition. I have in the past year been approached by Police at Field n Study to say "Have I seen two armed men running through the area?" towards the vagrants open area as they have just been involved in a armed house invasion (fortunately the person managed to press the panic button as the guys entered), so I do believe that the area houses criminals. Furthermore, the bike jacker was definitely operating out of the area (numerous CamelBaks etc were found in the area) and prior to that when we used to still ride the DHL jumps guys were definitely selling weed there. Yes I reported to both the SAPS & the PCA but no one really wants to take it on as the area is partly owned by Forrest Farm and partly by the the city. The PCA kept telling me numbers are stable but I can tell you that numbers have grown massively since 2010 as we rode the area quite frequently. I would not ride there now and only shoot past the area, closest to the river while commuting or on a weekend ride. Forrest Farm obviously don't want to invest cash (or possibly don't have the cash), however I have heard rumours that the property my be sold off and developed, but that is only the top triangle portion alongside William Nicol. During the bike jacking spree Rose from the Field n Study center did a lot to help where possible which was a refreshing change. The fact is these guys are a security risk - FACT. Environmentally they are a hazard - FACT. The area is being illegally inhabited - FACT

 

I appreciate that times are tough and it may not be easy for these guys (and I'm 100% sure that most of these guys are just trying to survive) but the fact remains that there is safety in numbers here and there is certainly an uneasy feeling when moving through the space.

My question is why does Delta Park, Emmerentia or any of the other open spaces along the Spruit not see the same sort of informal development? - Probably because they are easy to police from a vehicle is my guess and they are frequented more often (more eyes & thus more aware of problems, growing numbers etc.).

Would there be an uproar/petition if those areas did suddenly become 'inhabited'? - Definitely

Areas like the area in question and the area below Old Parks are difficult to police due to there locality and it requiring some effort for any form of policing to be instituted and maintained, thus they have the highest population density. As DD has said it is a tricky scenario but I really do feel that leaving this issue to fester will lead to more problems (for all users) down the line.

[Kona Kula]

Ill sign the petition. I hope it helps because the only real time the ANC sees anything is if a cheque arrives with it.

 

If they didnt breed like rats, we wouldnt have as much poverty as we do and squatters ruining our green belt

 

If ever there was a time for popcorn it's after this comment.

[ChUkKy]

If ever there was a time for popcorn it's after this comment.

 

I say what others think

[Gambithunt]

If ever there was a time for popcorn it's after this comment.

 

While it may not be the most eloquently written thing today, it's hard to dispute the factual correctness of it.

[Uni]

What are you saying exactly? Tackle the root of the problem....

 

Should we now go and provide proper housing for these people? Aren't we already doing that by paying our taxes and the government builds them houses.

 

These people are building temporary structures in a area which they should not. They are unsightly, dangerous and reduce the value of the property around it. They mess all over the place make fires which cause pollution which further reduce the value of property around it. Then there is crime....... even if its petty crime it still stays crime. But crime escalates if its not tackled properly and soon you will have murders being committed and rape etc.

 

Do you live next to the spruit?

 

Hennie, in the same way that I'm no saying we (as in taxpayers) should go and provide proper housing - my question is how exactly will this action help the bigger problem? By removing the current guys from the area and putting them somewhere else is simply going to result in a problem in a different area, and new people moving in. I don't live in the area, so I don't know what the plans are - but removing people who have no other alternative but to live where they can because there's a few criminal elements hanging around the periphery just doesn't make sense to me. It's taking a bucket to a tsunami.

[zuludog]

the logic cannot be that because there is poverty it is OK to rob a bank. the squaters are on the spruit illegaly and should be removed.for everybodies and there own good - they need services like sewerage etc. and the present state poses a health risk to all etc etc.

[merwe]

Who can sign this? I don't live near die spruit, not even close, but I do ride there often.

[BlackBikes]

I'll sign it. The difficult social inequality argument is there. But that doesn't excuse the filth that these squatters are leaving behind. I ride to be in the outdoors, not to dodge piles of plastic milk cartons and bunny hop man turds!

[goya-goya]

Again I am baffled at how it is acceptable to just make a dwelling when it is not land for dwellings!

 

What makes it more acceptable to do things that are unlawful? is it poverty?

 

If so where do you draw the line about where to draw the line about what type of crime is acceptable because of poverty?

 

Stop making excuses... kick these leeches out!