Peer brings hope to Chatsworth
Deputy mayor tough on hijacking, drugs and policing
DEPUTY mayor Fawzia Peer endured “one of the most difficult moments of my life” trying to console a Shallcross woman whose husband was gunned down in a botched hijack.
ethekwini’s deputy mayor told of the incident when she was in Chatsworth to engage with the community about crime. The suburb ranked in the country’s top five for hijack spots, recently released SAPS statistics showed.
A car was stolen in the area every other day, according to the figures.
Chatsworth was also a hive of drug activity, second only to Phoenix in Kwazulu-natal in the number of drug-related crimes reported.
About 300 people were at the Nelson Mandela Chatsworth Youth Centre where Peer spoke about crime.
Before the meeting, she visited the home of Patmanandhan Ganas, 41, who was shot in the stomach when he tried to shield his wife from balaclava-clad gunmen trying to steal his vehicle.
Ganas’s two children, one of whom was asleep, suffered flesh wounds.
“Ganas didn’t die of natural causes but because of faceless killers. As a woman, I understand his wife’s anguish. He was a hero,” she said.
“Ganas’s death takes on a more human face.”
At the meeting, Peer said the car theft was “frightening”.
She said Chatsworth had been hit hard by crime and it was time for the community to work together and end the scourge.
“We can’t say it is not my problem, or blame police, or the government for not doing enough. That won’t solve the problem.
“We need to confront this animal, cut off its limbs and snuff it out,” she said.
As chairwoman of the municipality’s safety and social services committee, Peer said her office was looking to civil society and Google for innovative ways to combat crime.
She urged the public to call on her at any time about safety issues.
She also asked the SAPS to be more visible in the area.
Admonishing the metro police’s top brass for not attending the meeting, she suggested residents worked more closely with community policing forums (CPFS).
Peer raised the issue of drugs in Chatsworth and said complaining to police about drug dens was a joke because they knew the dealers.
The comment drew a huge roar of approval from the audience.
“Metro had a unit that dealt with drug matters and it enjoyed much success, but for some reason was shut. We must question that.”
Her comment about reviving the unit drew rapturous applause.
Peer also promised tighter policing of scrapyards, more police patrols and an increase in CCTV cameras on the suburb’s streets.
“We plan to have three more CCTV cameras in Chatsworth. We’ll sit with the CPF and police to decide where to install them.”
Jakes Singh, chairman of the Chatsworth CPF, said Peer’s vist was ground-breaking for a highranking city official, and he was overwhelmed by the community’s response.
“I was pleased she set up a task team to investigate tenancy at a local high school, promised more police patrols, including a dog unit for our area, and I liked her stance on drugs,” said Singh.
Sam Pillay, who heads the Anti-drug Forum, said he was hugely disappointed when the metro police’s crime prevention unit, which also tackled drug matters, was disbanded a few years ago.
“Now I’m excited by the deputy mayor’s promise to revive the unit.
“They were instrumental in securing some of the biggest drug busts in Chatsworth,” he said.