Gatvol Athlone residents who are determined to take back their streets from drug merchants say they are seeing progress.
The Silvertown Neighbourhood Watch has been spearheading marches to drug dens and shutting them down.
Chairman of the neighbourhood watch, Latief Clarke, says residents have heeded their call to stand up against the merts and skollies because they are gatvol and want peace and safety.
“We started this due to a combination of factors. Residents also became disillusioned regarding authority and the input they have in their own community,” says Clarke.
Last week, residents descended on the home of a mert known as Jumat in Durant Road in Silvertown, demanding he stop selling drugs.
Mense were inside and outside the property, shouting: “enough is enough, save our kids, and no more drugs”.
“The landlord actually let us in,” says Clarke
“We want to keep this momentum going in our area as we have seen significant progress.
“If we don’t do something about this then we don’t have a leg to stand on when we make demands [to officials].”
He says since the march, the well-known pela pos is no longer in operation.
“We served him with a warning. We had a meeting with him and he declared he is finished with his dealings,” says Clarke.
“We have been monitoring the residence and it has been quiet. There is no activity.
“The area has seen less foot traffic at night, but we will not stop marching.”
Athlone Community Policing Forum (CPF) chairperson, Aziza Kannemeyer, has commended the neighbourhood watch for stepping up and urged residents to join.
“Perpetrators need to see the neighbourhood watch is being supported by residents,” she says.
“People not joining marches can assist by joining the social media groups of the neighbourhood watch.
MARCH: Silvertown residents are forcing merchants out
“This positive action is also spilling over into other areas. There are fewer movements at night.
“The NHW has been mobilising people, identifying hotspots, talking to the youth, and cautioning people where not to walk,” she added.
The community action in Silvertown follows two
successful marches that led to the shutdown of at least four other Athlone dealers this month
Three weeks ago, more than 200 Bridgetown residents started a riot and shut down three alleged drug dens.
WAR: 3 drug dens shut down
Earlier in the month, Silvertown residents also evicted a drug mert from Anthony Road who had allegedly beaten up a young man and left him for dead.