Background of Area | Project Overview | Community Meeting | The Way Forward | ALL MULTIMEDIA

The community meeting, held at the City Library on 16 October at 18:00 was considered a success by all involved. The gazettes and brochures were handed out at the door, and Laura gave a brief introduction to civic journalism to all present. The television documentaries were shown first, followed by some discussion raised by the “Robocop” piece. This was followed by the soundslide, a discussion on the literature presented, and finally a presentation from Inspector Coetzer of the Crime Intelligence Office at the Grahamstown Police Station. She then answered questions, and further discussion ensued before the meeting was adjourned.

Many of the points of discussion brought up were interesting, and hotly debated, and showed the need for further community gatherings such as this one. After the television documentaries, much engagement between Robocop, his fellow car washers, and High Street business owners ensued. Issues such as the criminalization of car washing on High Street, unemployment, and harassment were raised.

Inspector Coetzer’s presence was appreciated by the attendees, as it helped to have an official figure to which they could address problems. In her presentation to the meeting she considered the problems faced by the police in the Oatlands and CBD area, such as the low reporting rate on crime and the need for communication between the police and the community.

Many solutions were debated, but it was felt that this was inconsequential without the presence of Makhana Municipality Ward Council, who not only would have had knowledge of the Grahamstown by-laws, but would also have had the power to instigate change. The community meeting itself was appreciated by all in attendance and it was felt that such discussions should take place on a more regular basis, and that it was a successful attempt at pulling the community together.