Standing with placards “We have families” and “respect us” the New Horizon Neighbourhood Watch in Pelican Park marked Human Rights Day on Tuesday 21 March.
Neighbourhood watch members held a human chain demonstration along Strandfontein Road to raise awareness that they too have human rights.
Saadiqah Ganief, treasurer at New Horizon, said they specifically wanted to highlight the human rights of volunteers and members of all neighbourhood watches.
“We chose to highlight the rights of all neighbourhood watches because it is a volunteering job. They look out and after the safety and well-being of the community.
“Human Rights Day is significant to us as South Africans and through this significance, New Horizon Neighbourhood Watch is standing up for their human rights.”
She added that residents could often be quite demanding.
“However, sometimes community residents are not as understanding and can be demanding towards these volunteer fights.”
Supported by the Grassy Park police, members of the Grassy Park youth desk crime prevention unit and residents handed out awareness pamphlets with important emergency numbers for motorists and passers-by.
“Neighbourhood watch members as a whole are accused of not doing enough; they aren’t seen by residents patrolling or when something happens they are asked the famous line where is the neighbourhood watch?
“Neighbourhood Watch members are saying enough is enough to be subjected to community verbal abuse. It is not all residents but we cannot accept that we are ridiculed just because of a reflector bib.”
Ganief added that neighbourhood watch members often go the extra mile.
“It isn’t fair as these members do not get paid for this job. They go the extra mile to ensure that the community can be a safe place.
“However, it takes all role players involved to work together to achieve a safe and peaceful community.”
Grassy Park police spokesperson Captain Wynita Kleinsmith, who joined the demonstration said the police were grateful for support from neighbourhood watches.
“The community neighbourhood watches help us a lot. Last week during the national shutdown (Monday 20 March) there were around 120 people who assisted us in their own free time and their vehicles.
“On the day with their help, we removed 700 tyres from the Grassy Park area and we take our hats off to them.
“The lives and human rights of everyone matter, including that of the neighbourhood watch.”
