Press Statement by Maureen Scheepers: DA Councillor in eMalahleni Local Municipality
The DA in eMalahleni recently held a productive crime and safety meeting with the residents of Blanchville, the Blanchville Neighbourhood Watch, South African Community Crime Watch and the Sector 2 Commander, Sergeant Lauraine Mahlakoane.
Noting a disconnect with stakeholders in the ward, we held this meeting to bridge the gap between the community and the police, ensure that all respective stakeholders work together, to identify crime hotspots, common challenges and to propose sound solutions.
At this meeting, our residents reiterated that they do not feel safe at night, particularly because dysfunctional streetlights, long grass and overgrown trees provide perfect hiding places for criminals.
Responding to the issues highlighted by the community, the Sector 2 Commander urged the community to open cases and report crime in the area as the statistics do not correlate with what is happening on the ground. Especially since limited resources, like police vehicles, are allocated to areas where crime is prevalent.
Since the 9th of May 2026, the DA partnered with the crime watch in this neighbourhood to ensure that there are regular clean-up campaigns that prioritised grass cutting, trimming of trees and ensured that streetlights were repaired in hotspot areas.
The DA in eMalahleni will not relent, we will ensure that clear crime prevention strategies are implemented in this municipality and our residents feel safe again.