The Laudium Police together with other stakeholders including members from the Tshwane District Social Crime Prevention, Department of Sports, Arts and Culture, Laudium Local Taxi Association and Laudium Child Welfare NPO, celebrated 67 minutes of Mandela Day at the Itireleng Informal Settlement, last Friday, July 18 (Madiba Day).
The team started by cleaning the taxi rank in Itireleng. Thereafter they mobilized children aged 7 to 16, youth aged 18 to 35 and other members of the community. Activities including singing, dancing, modelling, etc, were performed with young and old competing with each other.
Stakeholders from the community engaged with the children and youth from Itireleng and a call was made to continue with these kinds of initiatives in the spirit of Ubuntu and to make every day a Mandela Day. The children and members from the community were sensitized about inappropriate and appropriate touching, gender based violence and the dangers of substance abuse.
Police used the opportunity to assure all those present, as they joined hands in celebrating the day together, that there will be a continuous initiative and teamwork to ensure that the community is not only safe but also feels safe. Police therefore urged the community to work with the police on fighting crime. A DJ from African Roots and the team entertained the crowd by dancing and making the day more enjoyable. Refreshments were served to everyone present, in the spirit of Madiba’s ethos of ‘Sharing is Caring’ More than seven hundred people were in attendance. SAPS Laudium Acting Station Commander, Captain K Brand, applauded all involved including the organizers of all the events, for their efforts.
The acting Station Commander further encouraged SAPS members and members of the community including all local stakeholders, to continue working together, saying, “Together we can make a difference.”
Submitted by Sergeant Simon Chokoe of the Laudium SAPS – Social Crime Prevention Unit.