Orange Farm, Gauteng

A network of 400 volunteers who work as community patrollers in Orange Farm act as the “eyes and ears” of the local police station. They work alongside the Community Policing Forum (CPF), their donors and non-profit partners to push back against crime. 

This network helps to develop support infrastructure for awareness and prevention of gender-based violence (GBV) and to stamp out gangsterism. It’s also served to give patrollers opportunities to learn more skills and better their lives, while protecting their community.

What was the problem?

CPF chairman Andries Macheli says Orange Farm’s problems start with having only one police station that serves a community that includes the high-density location areas as well as those living in plots that are far to reach. 

“In Orange Farm we have gangs from illegal initiation schools, lots of drugs and high gender-based violence (GBV). There’s also high unemployment,” says Macheli, who’s been with the CPF for over 30 years.

How did they fix it?

The CPF recruits patrollers and gives these volunteers basic training and opportunities. It includes basic safety training and workshops on community building and crime fighting. The teams patrol on foot or on bicycle and are divided up into teams to ensure good coverage across their community. 

“Our members are always patrolling, because crime doesn’t stop,” he says. Macheli says an important principle they work with is to support patrollers to develop themselves and improve their skills. 

“Our people are very committed – whether they have been here for 15 years or 6  months. We understand that some patrollers leave us now, maybe for a job or something. But when someone finds a job and it might have started from when they got some skills from training when they were patrollers then we are very proud of them. As they move on to a job they are also doing better for the community,” says Macheli. 

Another critical part of the success for the patroller has been working with business sponsors and non-profits. Businesses over the years have donated reflector vests, torches, bicycles and vehicles. Currently they work closely with the non-profit called RADA (Rape Alcohol Drug Abuse) that fight these social ills in grassroots communities. 

Matome Mokgoloboto, community outreach officer at RADA, says they work to support organisations that are focused on finding local solutions to combat issues that lead to crime in their communities. 

Mokgoloboto says: “We come to communities listening to what they see as their problems and solutions, then we try to see how we can assist. 

“In Orange Farm we found many people who are unemployed but they are they ones who have set up community structures all revolving around helping each other. So we said we can do something and that’s why we supported them with workshops, with food parcels and connecting them with donors we have connections with,” says Mokgoloboto.

RADA’s success with the Orange Farm CPF and community patrollers has spurred them to work with other patrolling groups in KZN, Limpopo and Mpumalanga. 

“We work with people who work to help themselves, whatever it is. But letting people find their own solutions by supporting them, not telling them what to do, is how we can build more successful projects and communities,” he says. 

What makes it work?

• Understanding needs on the ground:  The community patrollers are invested in patrolling for their community but are people in need of assistance. Responding to this has meant providing training, workshops and also food parcels.

• Understanding that volunteers move on: The patrollers range from people who have been with the patrollers for many years to those who have spent just a few months with the group. Working around this has meant adapting, building more resilience and flexibility. 

• Being part of a strong CPF: The long history of the local CPF means that the patrollers have a trusted and experienced partner. The CPF helps them to organise the large group of patrollers. They are also exposed to training and are assisted with resources for patrolling.

• Working with invested partners: The RADA and Orange Farm patrollers’ relationship is one grounded in shared values of community building. It has helped both to thrive but still be independent.

Acknowledgements

Author: FixLocal Reporter

Additional articles/sources: Non-Profit Company RADA teams up with the security patrollers of Orange Farm

Photograph: RADA