Efforts in elevating safety in Bloemfontein neighbourhoods has merit

The DeFleurSig Neigbourhood Association is growing. Maybe not as fast as the committee would prefer, but still.

At the annual general meeting (AGM) on 22 May, chairperson Ralph Rex said one can still say the economic climate in South Africa, and specifically Bloemfontein, over the last year has been challenging.

This continues to make it extremely difficult for households to keep up with the rising cost of living.

He reffered to the cost of food, electricity, municipal levies, school fees, and many more that have affected the membership growth of DeFleurSig since June 2024.

At the previous AGM there were 76 members, with the current membership standing at 84 members at the end of May.

“This is still a growth of 10%. The breakdown in membership according to the respective neighbourhoods are 15 in Generaal De Wet, 32 in Fleurdal, and 37 in Uitsig.”

He said much more can be done in the neighbourhoods if the membership were to increase.

Two of the key projects that DeFleurSig is committed to, is keeping the public parks in the area neat and improving safety throughout the whole area.

Rex said that although they are maintaining numerous parks in the area since 2022, the head of the Community Services Department of the Mangaung Metro, on 25 March, also approved the group’s 2023 application to adopt three parks.

They are Park 5 in Japie Neser Street in Uitsig; Park 9 in Sannaspos Street in Generaal De Wet; and Park 14 in Korps Avenue in Fleurdal.

“Some of the obligations in the agreement assigned to the ‘Adopter’ is problematic and we are still studying the agreement and obtaining legal advice in this regard before we will or can sign the agreement,” he said at the meeting.

Some of the services that are currently being rendered by the DeFleurSig organisation to its members are done so with the assistance of the Fichardtpark

Neighbourhood Association, and includes the regular cutting and maintenance of four parks: one each in Uitsig and Fleurdal, and two in Generaal De Wet.

The income generated from members is also used for the once-off cutting and maintenance of four additional parks when the need arises.

With the assistance from all its security partners, support to paying members in the case of a security emergency via the DeFleurSig Security WhatsApp group is rendered.

DeFleurSig also helps with the removal of household refuse every second Wednesday with the assistance of Yebbo Vullis.

“With refuse that is illegally dumped in our area, we requested Retro Signs to assist us in designing notice boards that we would like to place on our parks and at dumping hot spots.

“Hopefully this will deter this phenomenon. The boards were designed to also refer to the DeFleurSig. This might assist further expanding the membership numbers of the organisation.”

Members of the police that are dedicated to this area, as well as members of security firms that are active and visible in these neighbourhoods, were awarded tokens of appreciation for the work that they have done thus far, and continue to do.