Former Fish Hoek CPF chairman and Ward 107 councillor, Jonathan Mills
In response to the article “Call to scrap Central watch” (Echo, Thursday March 21):
Claims that Colonel Jackie Johnson and I did not follow due process are entirely untrue and the investigation into this issue by the Fish Hoek CPF is an obvious farce.
Any investigation into someone’s actions without giving them any notice or opportunity to give their side only makes sense if you know your case won’t stand up to scrutiny.
In this case the facts speak for themselves as the CPF’s own website shows there to be no boundary issues, and the formation of the Central watch at a public meeting for residents was covered by the Echo at the time (“New neighbourhood watch in town”, September 8, 2022), can still be found online.
If they cannot find the records and they haven’t interviewed those involved how can they make claims about what did or didn’t happen?
Personally, I believe this whole issue is nothing more than a vendetta against Mr Freeman by his detractors – even though he has been one of the most active people in trying to keep the Main Road safe.
He formed a working relationship with PRASA to try and clean-up the railway lines as well as setting up NHW patrolling on the Main Road. The fact that he lives down the road in Noordhoek is a petty reason for stopping someone trying to help where they see help is needed most.
I am not claiming Mr Freeman to be a saint and we are all accountable for our actions, but numerous complaints against him by a very small group of people go back a number of years.
The complaints were investigated by myself, Colonel Johnson, and Shamila Nicholas from the Provincial CPF board and found to be without any merit.
Whether Mr Freeman has a case of assault to answer for will be decided by a judge, but it comes as no surprise that this new accusation comes from an employee of one of his detractors.
More importantly though, an entire NHW cannot simply be dissolved because of the actions of an individual. Due process was indeed followed which is why a technical issue was fraudulently manufactured to invalidate its existence.
The case made by the CPF is that the boundaries of the Central watch overlap with Valley North NHW as shown on the map published with last week’s article (no doubt provided by the CPF). I know this not to be true because I specifically dealt with this issue at the time.
Undermining its own case, the CPF forgot to update its website where you can still see the maps showing the true boundaries (I have saved the screengrabs just in case it disappears).
The real maps show how the two NHWs fit together perfectly, as was agreed at the time after Valley North wanted clarity that First Avenue was in their area and Central would have the side-roads leading off Main Road.
It seems the CPF has deliberately and grossly misrepresented the boundaries to achieve their malicious agenda. Even if the Valley North boundary was deliberately expanded to achieve the result they wanted, it was after the formation of the Central Watch as the CPF maps prove and it is Central Watch who would have had to be consulted, not the other way round. But the point is moot because it never happened.
The authorities who reviewed the appeal appear to have accepted the CPF’s case at face value. It does not speak to their ability to do oversight of policing if they don’t apply the simplest principles of investigation like testing the evidence and not relying on hearsay alone.
Googling “fish hoek cpf neighbourhood watch” and clicking the top result is not a high bar for looking into this matter.
This amateurish conspiracy to rewrite history to suit their own agenda is the kind of nonsense that seeps throughout Fish Hoek’s gossipy old-guard and should be swept away.
Gatekeeping and personal attacks like this on those who challenge the status quo do the community no favours when we should be working together against crime and the many other issues we need to face together.
United we must stand, because divided we will fall.
• Fish Hoek CPF chairman Andre Blom responds: The investigation by the Fish Hoek CPF, Cluster CPF and the Provincial Dispute Board all found sufficient evidence that the processes as stipulated in the constitution and code of conduct was not followed when Mr Freeman founded the Central watch.
The Central watch and Mr Freeman had ample opportunity to present their case and at one such opportunity it was clear the chairman of the watch did not have any idea of what the correct processes were nor had she read the constitution.
The screen grabs of the boundaries of the now dissolved Central watch as advocated by the then chairman, Mr Mills clearly show how the boundaries overlap.
For example First Avenue and Dalton Road on the Northern side, between Central and De Waal Roads on the South side. The map on the CPF website were not meant to be authoritative demarcations but rather to serve as guidelines to the general public wishing to get involved with a neighbourhood watch.
The founding of the Central watch was started off incorrectly by not entering into discussion with the Valley North watch and the Business Improvement District regarding boundaries. Neglecting to discuss and enter into a formal mutual agreement with your neighbouring partners is doomed to fail.
Valley North NHW has always extended from Kommetjie road down to Clovelly Wetlands including Main Road. If the maps ons the CPF website is incorrect it was done so during the previous term.
The CPF website could only be updated once the appeal has been finalised, as it has now.
The authorities that investigated the matter, from SAPS, the province’s Department of Police Oversight and Community Safety, Provincial Board, Cluster and local CPF came to the same conclusions after completing their own investigations. Clearly nothing was taken and accepted on face value.
