In what has been described as “a first of its kind”, a meeting held last month served as a platform for residents to engage with the military about concerns around the deteriorating conditions in and around the Two Military Base in Wynberg.
On Thursday 19 May, military representatives, the Wynberg Community Policing Forum (CPF), Subsector 5 Forum, Ward 62 councillor Emile Langenhoven and public stakeholders met at the base to discuss the way forward.
The minutes taken at the meeting states the aim of the gathering was to build a relationship with Two Military Base to improve security in the area and to resolve concerns.
Langenhoven says many residents have submitted complaints about dumping at the old entrance of the military base along Waterloo Road and in St John’s Road.
“The military base forms part of the Wynberg community and it stands to reason that a partnership be created with them to keep Wynberg clean,” he says.
Besides the grime, the minutes reflected there were also concerns raised around crime in the area, in particular at the spot where an old howitzer is mounted at the intersection between St John’s and Camp roads.
“The area is being used by people to sleep in, dump rubbish and conduct other nefarious and indecent acts,” says Langenhoven.
Loud music emanating from the base as well as the noise of screeching tyres and loud cars being heard between 02:00 and 04:00 were other worries raised.
To combat the grime, Langenhoven says the military has committed to doing a joint clean-up of the area. It was also decided that a request would be lodged with the City’s Solid Waste Department to remove refuse from around the howitzer.
“The residents are more than willing to put in the effort to assist where they can help restore pride to this historic site and the military command present seemed enthused by the idea as well,” he says.
Under “strategies to combat crime”, the minutes showed that the Military Police may remove trespassers from the base.
It also stated that the branches around the howitzer had to be cleared but, seeing that the base is a provincial heritage site, permission to trim the trees would first need to be obtained from the City of Cape Town.
With regards to the noise complaints, the minutes showed that a Wynberg Military Police’s representative responded that the music from the base was probably from the single quarters near Waterloo Road.
The minutes further showed that a representative from Isabella’s, a restaurant located within the base, stated that they tried to control the volume of live entertainers and that live entertainment ended at 23:30. The representative also said that it would be appreciated if the City’s Department of Health (Plumstead) could obtain sound level readings to confirm the restaurant’s compliance.
As to the noise made by vehicles in the late hours, the Military Police requested that the registration numbers of these cars be noted down and provided.
Langenhoven says the minutes speak to the success of the meeting.
“I believe that all who attended were satisfied with the outcomes and look forward to partnering and fostering the relationship with the military base.”
Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Krieger, regional manager: Cape Town, Department of Defence: Logistics Division, also described the meeting as a huge success “in light of the fact that it seemed the residents had little information about the military”.
“They also were not really sure what is happening behind the military fence. They raised their concerns and we actually came to amicable conclusions and agreements how to support each other in future,” he says.
Asked if whether the military’s presence at the meeting indicated that it saw itself as part of the Wynberg community, and as such, would like to work with the community in addressing concerns about the base, Krieger says, yes.
“The SANDF (South African National Defence Force) prides itself in good civil military relations because we are respecting the Civil Supremacy over the Armed Forces. Furthermore, we are totally respective of our Constitution and are aligned with the vision of our Commander-in-Chief, President Cyril Ramaphosa.”
“The military is committed to assist, cooperate and support society where and when it’s needed taking into consideration our mandate and jurisdiction.”
Long-time resident Jeni Rabinowitz, however, is less optimistic that the meeting will translate into action.
Rabinowitz, who has lived in St John’s Road for the past 12 years, says although conditions have worsened during the lockdown, the illegal dumping began about 15 years ago, right after a recycling facility located on the base was closed down.
“I have been speaking to the base’s military police for years now about the degradation of the area. I am very sceptical. I think the councillor is trying, but these bureaucratic wheels grind backwards.”
She says St John’s used to be a quiet street, but when people discovered it could be used as a short cut to the military base it became a high-traffic thoroughfare.
“People walk up and down the street all hours of the night, casing houses. I had someone the other night at 02:00, coming up to my house, looking at our alarm centre and ripping it off. I have had several nasty incidents at my house,” says Rabinowitz.
As to the possible cause of the area’s slow decline, Rabinowitz says she thinks it is a combination of various factors.
“The Covid time, the creep of people who are unsavoury characters. And St John’s is a very tricky road. There is St John’s Church, which is a massive piece of ground that is uninhabited after hours. The rectory’s tenants are not invested in the area. There is the Springfield Convent School. Nobody is invested as a neighbour.”
Rabinowitz says there is no sense of community in the area. She says an appeal went out on a local security WhatsApp group for members to recycle.
“I am the only one going around picking up the rubbish. People do not cooperate. I don’t know which comes first – if there is no cooperation because there is no sense of community or if there is no sense of community because there is no cooperation.”
- To raise concerns, call the Military Base’s client service centre on 021 799 6610.
