Latest news with #PretoriaEastCommunityCaringForum
The Citizen
2 days ago
- General
- The Citizen
Brave woman's push for change in east through community forum
Brave woman's push for change in east through community forum In the east of Pretoria, where neglected public spaces and slow service delivery have become the norm, a brave woman has taken it upon herself to lead the charge for change. Deirdré van Helsdingen, founding director of a non-profit organisation, the Pretoria East Community Caring Forum (CCF), has become a driving force behind community-led development in Moreleta Park and surrounding suburbs. Van Helsdingen moved to Pretoria in 1985 as a student and remembers a time when the city was well-kept and thriving. According to her, over the years, she witnessed the city's condition decline and finally decided to take action. 'Only later could I see the decay, and that's when I decided to make a difference and started the CCF,' she said. Van Helsdingen said her passion for community upliftment runs deep. For 18 years, she has been actively involved in the Community Policing Forum (CPF), and her work has often gone beyond just volunteering. She said after selling most of her businesses 12 years ago, she took a year-long break and then returned with a renewed focus on civic action. Her former restaurant inside the Moreletakloof Nature Reserve became a space of environmental revival, where she partnered with Nature Conservation to bring wildlife back into the kloof. 'It is now flourishing,' she said. Van Helsdingen said the CCF began as a personal initiative, funding the first few projects herself. She started by addressing visible problems in the community: overgrown grass, eroded sidewalks, and public spaces in disrepair. She said she used to share her work regularly on social media, which attracted public attention and encouraged others to support the cause. 'We grew then, our workers started to operate from Monday to Thursday, and every Friday, I send a Community Performance Report to the City Manager's Office,' she explained. Recent projects include cleaning the area near the 'White House' on behalf of its owner, as well as cutting grass along Rubenstein Drive. The 'White House' is a property near the Plastic View informal settlement that was illegally taken over by squatters recently. Upcoming plans include restoring a neglected corner on De Villebois Mareuil Drive using soil from the Garstfontein Road Widening Project and planting aloes. One of the key aspects of the CCF's growing impact has been its commitment to collaboration. She emphasised that the CCF is not politically affiliated and welcomes partnerships with anyone who shares their goals. 'We are currently working with the DA on a pothole project and are also in communication with AfriForum,' she said. The CCF Group has since been registered as a Community Upliftment Precinct (CUP). It is a project structure, with one central head office overseeing all administrative functions, including human resources and compliance for its growing network of community initiatives. She said that while progress has been steady, encouraging active participation from residents remains a challenge. It's the difficult part. 'Residents already pay rates and taxes for services they don't receive. Some talk about withholding property tax, which isn't legal at the moment, but who knows what the future may bring?' Van Helsdingen said that despite the obstacles, she continues to push forward with a vision of community pride and resilience. She grew up in Sasolburg, a town in the Free State that won awards for being the most beautiful town. That sense of pride in one's environment is something she hopes to revive in Pretoria east. 'When I moved here in 1985, Pretoria was still beautiful,' she reflects. 'Now I want to help bring that beauty back.' Van Helsdingen said the most rewarding part of her work is the consistent growth and positive feedback from residents. 'Every year we grow. People see what we are doing and thank us. I'm proud of every single project,' she said. She said managing the CCF while raising a son in his matric year and maintaining a social life isn't easy, but she finds joy where she can. 'There's no balance really, but I love having a glass of wine at Rosewood Terrace or Rosewood Trails,' she said. Van Helsdingen further added that she has big plans. 'I hope to see the CCF eventually become a fully-fledged City Improvement District (CID), which would allow for compulsory contributions from residents once 80% support is achieved. That's when we can truly make a bigger impact,' she explained. For now, she continues to lead by example, proving that meaningful change in a community doesn't always start at the top. Sometimes, it begins with a single resident who decides not to wait for help, but to become it. To get involved or learn more about the CCF, email moreletapark@ ALSO READ: Emergency services warn households to be vigilant after Nellmapius shack fire Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to bennittb@ or phone us on 083 625 4114. For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord's websites: Rekord East For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram or TikTok. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading! Stay in the know. Download the Caxton Local News Network App Stay in the know. Download the Caxton Local News Network App here
The Citizen
07-05-2025
- The Citizen
East Community Forum clears cable theft hotspot
The Pretoria East Community Caring Forum (CCF) has once again stepped in to tackle a known cable theft hotspot in Moreleta Park, clearing overgrown grass and dense vegetation to improve visibility and help prevent future incidents. For years, residents of Moreleta Park have faced repeated power outages due to ongoing cable theft. Criminals frequently targeted the cables running from the Mooikloof substation, using the thick bush along the route as cover. By clearing the overgrowth beneath the overhead lines, the CCF aims to make it harder for criminals to operate unnoticed and to safeguard this essential infrastructure. The area is close to Mooikloof Ridge Estate bordering on Garsfontein Road, but due to security reasons exact location cannot be disclosed. According to the founder of the CCF Deirdré van Helsdingen, clearing the overgrown vegetation will help prevent cable theft. She said that when these lines are stolen, it causes power outages that affect estates and complexes east of Wekker Road, including Village Centre, Hillside Estate, and parts of Timbavati. Van Helsdingen said the CCF decided to do something about the cable theft, which is to improve visibility and to get nearby estates as well as security companies involved. 'These clean-up operations are made possible by the funds donated by the Woodville Security Forum and external organisations. We would like to extend our sincere thanks to Mooikloof Ridge Estate for their generous contribution in helping make this project a success.' She said each clean-up operation requires renting four TLBs, costing a total of R21 000. 'These efforts are costly, but they are critical to maintaining and restoring power in our community. Thanks to these preventative measures, many of you have likely experienced fewer electricity interruptions over the past two years.' Van Helsdingen said what began as a community upliftment initiative by the CCF has evolved into a targeted crime prevention effort after years of persistent cable theft in Moreleta Park and surrounding areas. 'Initially, the CCF took the lead in addressing the issue,' she explained. 'However, after careful consideration, we decided to separate our upliftment projects from crime-related initiatives, which led to the formation of the Woodville Security Forum in 2023.' She said the CCF recognised the scale of the problem, the new forum reached out to residents for donations. 'With the funds raised, we hired a private security firm to patrol key hotspots along the cable routes fed by the Mooikloof substation. One major challenge remains the overgrown terrain, which requires clearing every four to six months to maintain visibility and accessibility.' Van Helsdingen thanked Mooikloof Ridge Estate, which installed cameras along their boundary wall, a known hotspot, that is now under constant surveillance. 'Their 24/7 monitored system has been a great help,' she said. 'In fact, with their support, three more cameras were recently installed further along the line, and they have already made a noticeable difference.' She added that the situation remains tense. 'Just last week, a hole was discovered at one of the known hotspots, which is clear evidence of an attempted cable theft.' She said, fortunately, Stallion Security responded quickly and chased the perpetrators away, which prompted the clean-up on Monday (May 5). Van Helsdingen said the CCF also works closely with CPF Sector 4 and the Tshwane Cable Theft Unit. 'Despite their involvement, limited resources make it impossible to guard every vulnerable site in the city.' She said that at various Tshwane meetings, they have requested assistance in the form of technology-based solutions. 'But due to budget constraints, these proposals haven't been implemented. Meanwhile, the city continues to spend large amounts replacing stolen cables instead of investing in prevention.' 'These clean-ups have enabled quicker security responses and reduced the frequency of cable theft incidents,' Van Helsdingen added. 'But in the long run, we need early-warning systems and tech-enabled patrols. It's becoming clear that resident-driven organisations may be the only reliable way forward to safeguard our communities.' She urged the community to be involved by supporting this initiative through donations. 'Every contribution makes a difference in keeping the lights on,' she said. To support the cause people can send an email to braam@ and deirdré@ Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to bennittb@ or phone us on 083 625 4114. For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord's websites: Rekord East For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram or TikTok. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
