Faced with concerning and entrenched safety challenges in Hammanskraal, there was a need to rethink traditional approaches to safety and security.
Planact and Mbumba Development Services took proactive steps to address safety issues through a project titled “Designing and Applying Precinct-Based Safety Interventions” in Hammanskraal’s Central Business District (CBD), in the City of Tshwane (CoT). The Urban Safety Reference Group which includes the South African Cities Network, and the GIZ-Inclusive Crime and Violence Prevention Programme provided support to the project, designed to complement the Tshwane and National Treasury City Support Programme in Hammanskraal.
It takes a broader lens on issues of security in the context of rapid urbanisation and the fragmented nature of South Africa’s urban form, allied with the need to strengthen multi-scale governance and embed reforms.
The project focused on creating a comprehensive safety strategy through extensive community engagement and a co-design process. This approach aimed to gather valuable community insights to frame a holistic, precinct-based safety intervention.
Integral to the project’s success was the development of a Situation Analysis of Safety in the Hammanskraal CBD. This evaluation, with a strong stakeholder engagement process of constituency discussions were a key success factor.
Engagements included consultations with the Community Policing Forums (CPFs) of Hammanskraal and Temba, hawkers and traders’ organisations, the taxi association, the office of the councillor, and CBOs engaged in health and substance abuse among other role players. This further enabled the development of hotspot mapping, which was a key project deliverable.
Planact facilitated community dialogues and meetings to identify security issues and build strong commitment to the process. Community consultations were a central part of the process of identifying community leaders to constitute a Reference Group. Approximately twelve members from the community, including the constituency groups that Planact had previously interviewed in the stakeholder mapping process made up the core group, which became the drivers of the ensuing process.
This Reference Group had meetings with Planact and Mbumba over a few months, which enabled the refining, reviewing, and ranking of the various security issues and the associated strategic interventions, which resulted in the development of a robust Safety Plan.
The Tshwane Metro Police Department were instrumental throughout the project and particularly in taking up the activation activities, which culminated in a community event at the Mandela Village Hall in Hammanskraal on Friday, 26 July 2024, where stakeholders gathered to celebrate the official launch of the Hammanskraal CBD Safety Plan and safety activation interventions.
Guests were greeted by a ceremonial unit parade and a musical performance by the Tshwane Metro Police Department (TMPD) Band. The Programme Director: Ms Zodwa Thwala, from the Reference Group, and who also serves as the Secretary to the Hammanskraal CPF chaired the morning proceedings. The ceremony commenced with an opening speech from Ward Councillor Cllr MA Mashapa and a statement from Alderman G Theunissen, MMC of Community Safety. Central to the MMC’s message was that safety is a complex issue, which requires strong community engagement alongside the police and the CPFs. No one agency acting alone can achieve that of a broader collective acting together.
This is the pathway that the City is pursuing and the MMC confirmed that the Hammanskraal safety process has support and endorsement from the Members of the Mayoral Committee in Tshwane. It is also a process described as a path-breaking initiative with this being the very first precinct-based safety plan developed in South Africa offering a replica to spur other similar processes across the broader region of Hammanskraal and in other cities and towns across South Africa.
The TMPD Choir with their melodious voices delivered a beautiful performance at the start and during the ceremony’s proceedings.
The Chief of Police of the Tshwane Metro Police Department, Commissioner Y Faro addressed attendees, providing a background on the Safety Plan development process and explained its purpose. She expressed her gratitude to her colleagues who had unwaveringly steered and supported the precinct-based safety intervention. Her address also included a rallying call for the community to ‘claim back Hammanskraal.’ Ms Siphelele Ngobese from the South African Cities Networks followed and provided an overview of the safety intervention. She highlighted the importance of community engagement to connect and build strengthened relationships with communities, and to build programmes which have a sustainable impact with the benefit of inputs from community members who understand their context and can play a role in strengthening project interventions.
Ms Sarah Magagula, a member of the Group, introduced the Hammanskraal CBD Reference Group. They were thanked by her for their dedication and commitment to take forward the message and actions to make the Hammanskraal CBD a safer and more prosperous area. The event included a compelling presentation of the Hammanskraal CBD Safety Plan by reference group member Mr Tshepo Maluleka, and a vote of thanks delivered by Mr David Mathekga, also a member of the Group.
The community is embracing a transformative mindset matched by concrete activities with the aspiration to make Hammanskraal a safer place to live, work, play, and thrive!