Dear Cindy,

I am shocked and saddened that some of the toti residents could respond to the recent rape "allegation" involving the Combat security guard in such a negative and downright mean and nasty way. Has it not occurred to them that this whole debacle may be more than likely a set up by certain criminal minds (operations) to undermine the CCPO's efforts and to ensure that the whole project falls flat on its face????? After all there are individuals out there that master mind the prostitution, drug and housebreaking/car theft rings, we seem them daily sitting in cars staking out our homes, hanging out at the beaches and shops, walking around at night.It would be in their best interest to run these guards, or any others out of Toti in order to claim back their territory that so far the CCPO has successfully started claiming back for us!!!!!!!!!! 

How sad for us that we resort to such means to help this happen. How sad for the guard involved if he is not guilty and how sad to attack the CCPO committee members who have given so freely of their time to make our town a safer place and accuse them of corruption, theft and money racketeering (i.e. high salaries, etc). How petty that one notices the official CCPO car being used to carry shopping for a volunteer but fail to notice when a neighbour needs help, or perhaps phone your neighbour when their alarm is going off. How utterly disgusting that we are allowing the criminals to win because of one incident, that has yet to be proved. Even if it were true that the guard indeed raped this female, surely we cannot and must not undermine all of the other guards who are doing a good job, possibly at a very low salary and subjected to crime every minute of every day simply because that's his job. Could we possibly imagine how stressed these individuals must be and how hard it must be to know that when faced with a criminal or a criminal incident, his life is on the line for us???????????

I have lived in Toti for 13 years and have been robbed 9 times, 2 of them in my home, one an armed robbery and the other while we slept earlier this year. All the goods stolen were the children's stuff, they were devastated and some of the goods can never be replaced. Both of my teenage children have had countless cell phones stolen, one was mugged at Toti beach and the other at school. I replace their stationary frequently because it gets taken from them at school through intimidation, in fact it's common to be told to hand over their stuff. My daughter was even punched by a young male at school and nothing was done about the incident. It seems that we have all become so apathetic that when told of the horrendous crimes taking place in our community we shake our heads and say "how terrible" and then just move on to the next issue at hand. We are all "couch" critics and take delight at airing our views but rarely get off our butts and join in to help. I am sick of living like this and whilst I believe Toti is a wonderful place, it's overrun by crime. What good is it to live in this beautiful country, with the lovely seaside, perfect weather, big houses and gardens if you have to turn your home into a prison and stick to curfews because of fear? This is not a quality life, this is like being in a war zone, but perhaps we fail to notice our quality of life is slowly being eroded because of the crime. How can we accept that our neighbours and community members are being murdered and raped and subjected to violent crime every single day and not be outraged and deeply affected. How can we go on subjecting our children to living in these circumstances, it's not normal. Wake up Toti, you can longer afford to have the attitude that "it will never happen to me".

How nice sit in our glass houses and criticize efforts made by others and how easy to judge one man when you have not heard his side of the story. 

For what it's worth, I say well done to the CCPO for giving us at the very least "hope and courage" for without these things where would we be. The initial start-up of the project with guards in and around Toti very quickly proved that as a town we could fight back and we saw the results of just how wonderful it was to able to walk around the town at night, draw money and not be harassed fearful with every step. Unfortunately unless ever resident in Toti who is under threat is prepared to pull their weight, this initiative is not sustainable in the future and we will revert back to being a crime-ridden town. As with crime, the minority will affect the majority and the same is true for the CCPO, the minority of negative residents and public who are being so small minded and petty will affect the majority of us who believe in your cause and support you.

Warmest regards and thanks to all of the CCPO members and volunteers. May you continue to go from strength to strength?

Please do not allow these small minded people to stop you from making our community a safer place.

Have the committee considered 'Magnum Shield Security' as the next service provider? They already have a control centre at Toyota, access to trained dogs (Couver Security), patrol cars and a huge set up.

I think the CCPO is doing a great job and just hope more Toti residence would appreciate it and not join when someone in their families get killed needlesly.

Yes the CCPO initiative will work!

Thank you Peter, I have passed on your comments to the CCPO Committee - Web Ed

Thanks to Les and ADT for the quick response this morning, I live at 44 Ndongeni Drive, my maid called at 11:30 to say that there were people from the security company at the gate to check the alarm system, checked with ADT they had not sent anybody. There was 1 african and 2 asian males in a red vehicle at the gate. They unfortunately left before Les and ADT got to the house but have sent vehicles to try and find them.

Web Ed's: Email shortened due to length...More members = More security personel that the CCPO can deploy on the ground.

Just an observation to the item below in your latest newsletter, in particular the last sentence -: perhaps the owners/residents/body corporate of Waterberg flats should become members of the CCPO, then it may be possible to install a guard at their gate rather than expecting the paying residents of Amanzimtoti to sponsor their security - I don't see their name on the body corporate list!

..................

Hi,

I live in Waterberg flats in Beach Road, and yesterday (Tues 26th) when driving into the gates to my parking lot, there were two suspicious looking african men standing under the palm tree by the gate, behind the small waist high wall, carefully watching me as I drove in. They had no business being there, and seemed to be scoping the place out. Once in the parking area, and making sure they didn't follow me in, I phoned the police (Toti South: 913 1300), and they arrive in 5 minutes. The men had unfortunately moved off, I think they may have seen me making a phone call.

This evening (Wed 27th) when I arrived home, around the same time (5:30pm), there was one african man, with a maroon beanie (same as yesterday), walking slowly passed Waterberg, looking about again. I called the police (Toti South), and again they arrived in 5 minutes, and searched him and seemed to question him. Shortly after the police left, he walked off towards Toti Mall. So what was he doing loitering around the area? THANKS TO POLICE FOR THE PROMPT RESPONSE!....................

Perhaps the CCPO could organize a guard to keep an eye out around that area for the next few days between 5:00pm and 7:00pm

Hi

Yesterday (26th) at about 1.10pm I got a call from my neighbor who had seen a black man jump over my wall. (leaving the property). I immediately contacted Richard Allkins who contacted CCPO and they were at my house in a flash.

Luckily the 'robber' only managed to throw a brick through the window when my other neighbor heard the glass crash and set off her alarm. He slowly wandered off the property.

Grateful thanks to the CCPO members and the Alarm Company for their steady response. The Police also arrived, no idea who called them but they too were fantastic.

Anybody who has not yet joined the CCPO really should give it some serious thought.

Thanks to all who helped, Sarah McMullen

Hi, I would like to report an incident that happened yesterday (3/07/07) to my son (Ricky) while walking on the promenade at the back of Amanzi at about twelve thirty in the afternoon. Three male Africans and an Indian approached him and asked him where the best place was to fish. When answering them one walked behind him and started to pat his baggies pocket. He asked him what he thought he was doing and was told that he had better shut up if he knew what was good for him. Fortunately he only had his baggies on and had not taken his cell phone with him. He had +- R20 in his pocket which they took and just calmly walked away.
Rgs