Dear HSRA Property Owner,

Greetings from Hermanus. We trust that you are keeping safe and healthy wherever you are. This month’s newsletter serves to inform you about several important matters.

Strategic Planning Workshop

The HPP Board convened on Saturday, 14 August 2021 to reflect on the past financial year, and to discuss emerging challenges.

The following points summarise the essence of the challenges we face and opportunities we may have:

• An increase in vagrancy and homeless people along the cliff path, Hoys Koppie and in the  CBD;
• Illegal car guards;
• An escalation in crime given the high unemployment rate and the influx of people;
• The upcoming local government elections and the risk of destabilising action;
• Effective collaboration with the SAPS and other law enforcement agencies; and
• A camera monitoring service for third parties.

Decisions taken:

• Considering the growing vagrancy issue, HPP will learn from the experience and strategies of other SRAs | CIDs | municipalities and implement where appropriate.
• HPP will investigate the establishment of a new portfolio that deals with Social Upliftment.
• Parking management (e.g. illegal car guards) considered an issue the PPP-initiative of Hermanus should pursue.
• Since crime has no boundaries, HPP may have to secure the  HSRA by investing
  outside the HSRA-boundaries – the Board will discuss with its members and the Overstrand municipality.
• There might be an opportunity to create a separate vehicle (under the HPP-umbrella) to provide a commercially viable monitoring service to third parties.
• HPP shall engage the OM to discuss the HSRA’s vulnerability with respect to possible illegal land occupation.

We would like to thank Emilia Knight (Gallery Café & Deli in High Street) for delivering delicious complimentary coffees and Co-Unity for providing the venue.

Finance

HPP’s financial situation remains healthy. The audited financial statements for the FY 2020 | 2021 will be presented to members at the upcoming AGM and posted on the HPP website towards 7 September 2021.

Operations

During the month of August, HPP continued with the deployment of listening and observation posts and sweep operations in hotspot areas. As a result, crime has decreased significantly in those areas, especially in Voëlklip and Fernkloof.

Following burglaries in High Street (CBD), patrols have been increased and two bullet cameras will be installed.

HPP will enlarge its CCTV-footprint by adding 18 new cameras to the network by the end of October 2021. These cameras, which were self-funded by Fernkloof-residents, will provide comprehensive coverage of the neighbourhood and will be monitored by HPP 24|7 via its control centre.

The HPP-network will then consist of 68 cameras, which is a significant increase from the 19 cameras HPP had when it became the management body of the HSRA on 1 November 2020.

As part of our strategy to transition to an artificial intelligence camera – support network system, we successfully completed a comprehensive Proof of Concept (POC) on the Avigilon system. The result of this POC was demonstrated to HPP Board members, some business owners and to members of the newly formed SRAs of Onrus | Vermont and Kleinmond.

Cleansing

Continued cleaning operations along designated areas (cliff path, Hoys Koppie and Bekkers Park) are contributing to the clean appearance visitors to Hermanus comment on.

This service is provided by Iphupha Cleaning and Clearing Services, which is a 100% Black-owned service provider.

External Relations

HPP plays an important role in forging collaboration with the SAPS, municipal Law Enforcement, and other players in the security industry. It also acts as an informal advisor to the two new SRAs (Onrus | Vermont and Kleinmond) on matters relating to public safety and technology.

Contingency Planning – Possible Riots

HPP was actively involved in preparations for possible nationwide riotous action on 23 August 2021. Fortunately, no action occurred.

As POPS (Public Order Police Service) resources are stretched across the Western Cape, it is imperative that local contingency plans are in place. Hermanus now has an established plan for dealing with future events of this nature.

Meetings

The Board held its bi-monthly Board meeting on 1 September 2021. The minutes will soon be available on the HPP website (www.hpp.org.za).

Members of the Board and HPP’s Executive Officer also had their quarterly review meeting with the OM on 1 September. The purpose of these quarterly meetings is to bring members of the OM’s executive leadership up to speed with HPP’s performance (during the preceding 4 months), and to strengthen the partnership with OM.

Annual General Meeting

You are reminded that the AGM will be held via Zoom on Monday, 13 September 2021 at 15:00 CAT.

The agenda, chairperson’s report, HPP’s 2020/2021 financial statements (AFS), the 2022/2023 Implementation Plan and Budget will be available on the HPP website ahead of the meeting.

Please confirm your attendance / non-attendance via e-mail to info@hpp.org.za before 10 September 2021. The link to the virtual AGM and instructions to join will be emailed to you.

During this AGM we will discuss some new ideas that resulted from our earlier planning meeting. Property owners within the HSRA are encouraged to register as members of HPP NPC, as only members can vote on resolutions or matters pertaining to HPP NPC. To register for membership, visit the HPP website. Membership is available free of charge to all property owners within the HSRA, please register before 10 September 2021.

Should you be unable to attend, as a registered member of the HPP NPC, you may appoint another person to attend and vote on your behalf. Please complete the Form of Proxy, which can be downloaded from the HPP website.

Chairperson Report

My report for the 2020 | 2021 FY, which will be presented to members at the upcoming AGM, will appear on the HPP website towards 7 September 2021. It will contain a high-level overview of HPP’s performance during the period under review.

Faulty Streetlights

Criminals do not like well-lit areas. When you notice faulty streetlights in your street, neighbourhood, or elsewhere in Hermanus, please report its location to the Overstrand Municipality by phoning 028 316 5600 during office hours. The OM usually responds quickly to reports of this nature.

Social Media and Fake News

Social media makes it easy for people to distribute messages, but how do you know when a message is real or fake? Fake news can stoke unnecessary fear and anxiety especially during times of crises.

eNCA’s Sally Burdett speaks to Kate Wilkinson, deputy chief editor at Africa Check on fake news and how to identify it. Watch the video.

Separating fact from fiction accurately can seem daunting, but there are some questions you can ask to check claims yourself. Read Africa Check Fact-checking tips here.

Friendly Reminder

Please remember to notify HPP when:

• Your e-mail address changes
• Your mobile number changes
• You sell your property
• You buy another property within the boundaries of the HSRA.

You can do the above by sending an e-mail to info@hpp.org.za

Until next time, kind regards.

Errol van Staden

HPP Chair