Siyabuswa – Crime remains one of the biggest factors that often drives away investments in communities seeking growth. One non-profit organisation, Crime and Gun Free, has been pulling up its sleeves to tackle crime, violence and substance abuse in communities and schools.
The founder, Sakhi Moreroa, shared with the paper that they are actively running a safety and security initiative in Dr JS Moroka municipality. It is designed to address issues of violence, bullying and substance abuse in schools.
In recognition of their efforts, the non-profit was awarded R15,000 at a recent event, where the Nkangala District Municipality and Nedbank officially announced their five-year-long business partnership.
Moreroa said the organisation was born from a group of concerned residents who recognised the alarming rise in crime in their area. “We decided to take action to help combat these criminal activities after witnessing numerous instances of home break-ins and business robberies,” he said.
“Some businesses have had to shut their doors due to the ongoing threat from criminals. Just [imagine] the impact if the shops, taverns and restaurants that provide countless jobs were to close, unemployment would surge, and with it, poverty would rise,” Moreroa said.
He added that the organisation is currently working with the police, community policing forum (CPF) and other government departments focusing on community safety and education.
“After witnessing a notable decrease in home burglaries and business thefts, we shifted our attention to enhancing school safety. I developed a safety and security programme that gained positive feedback from the Department of Education and we moved forward with its implementation,” he explained.
He shared that their team consists of more than 80 volunteers actively involved in 10 schools, while others carry out evening patrols in the neighbourhood. These dedicated individuals perform routine inspections at school entrances to curb violence and to prevent the presence of weapons, alcohol and drugs on school premises.
“Our ultimate goal, which aligns with the government’s vision, is to ensure that learning takes place in a safe environment,” Moreroa emphasised that while their efforts have a noticeable impact on the community, combating crime alone won’t be sufficient without initiatives aimed at creating job opportunities.
“We firmly believe that unemployment is a driving force behind crime. Therefore, as part of our intervention strategy, we engage young people in our programme, teaching and training them various ways to protect themselves and their community,” he explained. “We also run campaigns addressing issues such as bullying, drug abuse and sexual harassment in schools.”
He stressed that they are not the CPF despite common assumptions. “We don’t just allow anyone to join us; we recruit through verification and ensure police clearance to check for any criminal records,” he said.
Moreroa, who also serves as secretary and coordinator, added that they are currently lacking sponsors and are actively seeking funding so they can provide stipends to their members. “Our goal is to expand this project, enabling us to serve the entire Dr JS Moroka community while effectively combating crime and poverty and creating job opportunities for our youth,” he said.
Nkangala District’s mayor, Thomas Ngwenya, praised the efforts of Crime and Gun Free, highlighting their crucial role in the District’s initiative aimed at combating bullying in schools.
“Our community is facing an alarming surge in crime, and we must take action by developing safety programmes. This NPO [Crime and Gun Free] will help us not only to focus on schools but also to extend our efforts into the wider community, ensuring that safety forums and neighborhood watch groups are established to safeguard our residents,” said Mayor Ngwenya. “It’s essential that we create these spaces on every street to effectively tackle crime.”
