BBRA Newsletter - NW/BW January 2019
NW/BW January 2019
Greetings to you all. This is the first newsletter for the year and is later than normal as we re-gather ourselves after the devastating fires during January. We sincerely regret the loss suffered in the fire at Jocks Bay and Sunny Seas, and those who lost their homes are in our prayers. The 11th January is a day we will remember for a long time. (English newsletter continues below.)
Gegroet is julle almal, Hierdie is die eerste nuusbrief van die jaar en is later as gewoonlik aangesien ons eers moes herstel na die verwoestende brande van Januarie. Ons opregte meegevoel gaan aan die gene wat verliese gely het in die vuur in Jocksbaai en Sunny Seas en ons bid veral vir hulle wie hul huise verloor het. Die 11de Januarie is ‘n dag wat ons nog lank sal onthou.
Ons bedank ons span wie lang ure gewerk het om steun te verleen. In sommige gevalle het die span 24/7 gewerk. Ons erken ook die bydrae van Kleinmond, Pringlebaai en Rooi Els se straatwagte. Dankie vir julle hulp na die verwoestende vuur.
In vorige nuusbriewe het ons inwoners gemaan om terwille van veiligheid, te verseker dat daar oop areas, vry van bosse, rondom hul wonings is. Na die vuur blyk dit dat die huise met gras of geplaveide areas rondom hul wonings, minder skade opgedoen het. Daar is areas in Jocksbaai waar die digte plante groei ‘n ernstige veiligheids en brand risiko inhou. Inwoners word versoek om dringend aandag aan hierdie saak te gee.
Onlangs was daar baie kommentaar op WhatsApp groepe, as ook sosiale media rakende stropery, beide positief en negatief. Ten einde die situasie op te klaar, neem asseblief kennis van die volgende:
Plaaslik is daar slegs 3 instansies wat die wettige mandaat het om met enige mariene verwante stropery te kan handel. Die gemagtige instansies is SAPD, DAFF en CAPE NATURE.
In terme van die ‘Marine Living Resources Act’, is geen ander persoon of organisasie geakkrediteer om enige mariene-verwante wets toepassing te doen, of om namens die gemagtigde instansies enige teen–stropery aktiwiteitete te organiseer nie, sonder ‘n aanstelling of instruksie van ‘n gemagtigde instansie.
Wettig gemagtigde instansies vra nie donasies van die publiek ter onderstreuning van hulle mariene verwante teen-stropery veldtogte.
Neem kennis dat enige donasie of skenking aan ‘n persoon of organisasie buite die wettige magtigde instansies, nie gekanaliseer word na die wettige teen-stroop organisasies nie.
Bettysbaai Buurtwag raak nie direk betrokke by enige teen-stroop aktiwiteite nie. Ons gee egter inligting rakende stropery deur aan die gemagtigde instansies soos hier bogenoem.
Ons stelvoor dat die gemeenskap enige verdagte, mariene verwant, direk aan die gemagtigde owerhede rapporteer, ten einde tydige reaksie op korrekte informasie te verseker. Die kontak besonderhede is:
DAFF – 028 313 2703
Cape Nature – 082 453 0835
SAPD – 028 2718200
Slegs indien daar nie antwoord by enige van bogenoemde is nie, kan u die Bettysbaai Buurtwag nommer kontak: 072 0155729. Moet ons asseblief nie eerste bel nie en ook nie ‘n boodskap op die Whatsapp groepe plaas nie.
Ons het ‘n interim komitee gestig om met die Overstrand Munisipaliteit (OM) te skakel rakende die kamera projek en ook ondersoek intestel na volhoubare befondsings opsies. Kleinmond het op 13 Februarie ‘n vergadering met OM gehad rakende hul aansoek vir ‘n spesiale aanslag gebied (SAG). Die OM het die reels verander wat ‘n SAG beheer en misdaad voorkoming word nou ingesluit as ‘n relevante motivering vir sodanige aansoek. Dit blyk dat die proses om aansoek te doen vir ‘n SAG kan voortgaan.
U word daaraan herinner dat die buurtwag se twee ‘’WhatsAppgroepe’’geskep is slegs met die oog op die rapportering van misdaad. Ons kan nie toelaat dat mense die groepe misbruik as gesels groepe nie, des te meer nie laat in die aand nie. Vermy dus sodanige gebruike.’n Ander uitdaging is die feit dat dié groepe nou volraak en ons wil dit vermy om ‘n derde groep te stig. Ons evalueer tans die moontlikheid om oor te skakel na ‘Telegram’. Ons toets die sisteem tans op ‘n klein groep en as dit suksesvol is, beplan ons om na hierdie sisteem oor te skakel.
Indien enige ontvanger van hierdie nuusbrief Bettysbaai verlaat het, stel ons asseblief in kennis sodat ons die data basis kan opdateer en spasie vrystel op ons’’WhatsApp’’groepe.
Skenkings rakende die befondsing van die beoogde kamera-projek en ons operationele kostes word waardeer.
Bank besonderhede is hier.
Ons wens u ‘n veilige maand toe.
We need to thank our team who worked long hours and in some cases we worked round the clock. We also need to acknowledge and thank Kleinmond, Pringle Bay and Rooi Els Street Watches for their assistance after the devastating fire.
In many of our previous newsletters we have urged residents to have a clear zone, free of bush around their houses, for security reasons and after the fire it is evident that those houses that had grass or paving around their houses sustained less damage. There are areas in Jocks Bay where the dense vegetation poses a severe security and fire risk and residents are urged to take this situation seriously.
Recently there have been many comments in WhatsApp groups and social media about poaching both negative and positive. In order to clarify the situation, please take note of the following:
Locally there are only 3 authorities that have the legal mandate to deal with marine related poaching incidents. These are SAPS, DAFF and CapeNature.
In terms of the Marine Living Resources Act, no other person or organization is accredited to do marine related law enforcement, act on behalf of the mandated authorities or organize anti –poaching efforts without an appointment or instruction from a mandated authority.
In support of marine related anti - poaching efforts, legally mandated authorities do not source funds or ask for donations from the general public.
Please note that any donations made to any person or organizations outside the legally mandated authorities is a donation to that organization and is not channeled to the legitimate anti-poaching organizations.
Bettys Bay Neighbourhood Watch does not get directly involved with anti-poaching. We do however report information received through to the approved authorities mentioned above. We recommend that the community report any suspect, marine related either directly to the mandated authorities, in order to ensure timeous response and the passing on of correct information.
SAPS – 028 271 8200
If you get no answer from any of the above numbers you may contact the Bettys Bay Neighbourhood Watch on 072 0155729, but please do not phone us first or post on any whattsapp group.
We have established an interim committee to liaise with the Overstrand Municipality regarding the camera project and primarily to explore sustainable funding options. Kleinmond have had a meeting on the 13th February with OM regarding their application for a special rating area (SRA). The OM have changed the rules governing SRA and crime prevention is now included as a relevant motivation for such an application. It would appear that the process is now back on track and we will be driving the application forward.
Homeowners and residents are reminded that our 2 whattsapp groups have been created for crime reporting only. We can’t have people using these groups as chat groups and even more so late at night, so please avoid this situation. Another challenge we are facing is that the 2 groups are becoming full and we are doing research on other options open to us, as we need to avoid having to start a 3rd group.
We are evaluating switching to Telegram; we are currently testing this system on a small group and if successful will plan the switch to this system. We request that we be informed if recipients of this letter, or any other persons, have left Betty's Bay so that we can update our data base and also free-up space on our Whattsapp groups.
Donations towards funding the camera system and our operating costs will be greatly appreciated. Our banking details are always available here.