4 Advertising & Newsdesk: (046) 624-4356 Find us on Facebook 25 November 2021 TALK OF THE TOW NFLAWED PLANPublic partyingissue continuesFed up resident says complaints are ignoredBURGLARY DAMAGE: The Port AlfredBowling Club was hit by burglars twice in thespace of a few days. The first incidenthappened last Thursday night. When clubpresident Trevor Frost, security and thepolice arrived, they discovered an intruderwas still in the ceiling. He panicked and ranacross the ceiling, before falling throughabove the kitchen area. He was arrested.Frost said the break-in damage amounted toabout R50,000. Club members cleaned upthe mess, but then over the weekend, therewas another break-in attempt at the club’sfront door and in the tool shed. A stolencable was recovered in the bushJON HOUZETFed up withdrunken, noisyrevelry in thepublic picnic areanext to her BeachRoad apartmentcomplex, a Port Alfredresident has appealedto the police andmunicipality to put anend to the lawlessness.Natalie Gibsonsent a letter to deputydirector of communityprotection services,Fanie Fouche, onSeptember 27, but hasstill received noa n sw e r.She said she hadput her complaint inwriting after an earlierphone call to Fouche.Gibson saidregular weekend useof the Beach Roadpicnic and braai areaposed a nuisance toresidents as revellersplayed music fromtheir cars at such loudlevels it made thewindows of herapartment vibrate.“You can’t evenenjoy your ownproperty like sitting onyour patio outside,”she said.There was ongoingdrinking of alcohol inpublic, despite laws tothe contrary, she said.“This is a hugeconcern as intoxicatedpeople can fall intothe river very easily, aswell as children thatare not being attendedto and monitored bytheir intoxicated caregivers and parents.”In addition to that,drunk people weregetting into their carsand driving recklessly,she said.“Intoxicatedpeople [are] speedingand spinning theircars’ [wheels] at nightin Beach View Road.”Littering was alsopervasive at the picnicspot and at WestBeach, she said, andwas blown by thewind into the KowieRiver and the sea.She said sheunderstood the areawas intended forpublic enjoyment, butthere was nosupervision and it wasaffecting her and otherresidents’ quality oflife.She also contactedthe SAPS liquorinspector, ClaytonGombert, but hasreceived no reply fromhim either.In her letter toGombert, she referredto a conversation witha police officer whenshe had called thepolice station onOctober 30.She said the policeofficer had arguedwith her about whatconstituted l aw -breaking, and told herhe did not believe thatthe music wasdisturbing theresidents’ peace.He apparently saidthat people may go tothe beach and e n j oythemselves and areallowed to fill theircooler box withwhatever they want,and that the policehave more importantcrimes to deal with.“The police andmunicipality cannotturn a blind eye andavoid this any longer.“It cannot beexpected that homeowners be prisoners intheir own homes andclose up every doorand window to havesome peace andq u i e t ,” Gibson said.In response toTo t T ’s queries, policespokesperson SergeantMajola Nkohli said:“The South AfricanPolice Service hasnoted the allegationfrom Natalie Gibson,and has sinceforwarded it to theStation Commander ofSAPS Port Alfred for aninternal investigation.“In relation toliquor consumptionon municipal beaches,parks and otheramenities, these areasare deemed as publicplaces, and policing isconducted accordingto the Liquor Act,”Majola continued.“The public iswarned that it is acriminal offence toconsume liquor inpublic spaces such asmunicipal parks,beaches, and otheramenities as per theEastern Cape LiquorA c t .”He said mattersrelating to noisepollution were dealtwith in terms of themunicipal bylaws of aparticularmunicipality, andthese differed in everymunicipality, withvarying fines and asper the magisterialdistrict.Gibson alsocontacted newlyappointed wardcouncillor, NadineHaynes, who said: “Iappreciate yourconcerns and validcomplaints regardingthe braai areas atGuido’s and the totaldisregard of the litteron the beaches asindicated.“I will take thismatter up withCaptain Barkhuizen atthe SAPS and certainlyaddress the responseyou had whenreporting the matterand work togetherwith them in finding asolution for theproblem.“I will also addressthe matter with theofficials at thecommunity protectionservices department.”ƒƒƒƒWE MANUFACTURE ALUMINUM:Windows Trellis Hinged DoorsStacker Doors Sliding WindowsGarage Doors Sliding Gates88 Albany Road | Port Alfred078 544 7046 | 078 702 6836Email: dhlnkosi1@gmail.comWeb: www.cantryaluminium.co.zaŸ
TALK OF THE TOWN 25 November 2021 Advertising & Newsdesk: (046) 624-4356 Find us on Facebook 5