HERMANUS PUBLIC PROTECTION
NEWSLETTER
Keeping our community safe and clean, together
JULY 2025
Spreading the Madiba Spirit
In honour of Madiba’s legacy of making a difference on Mandela Day, HPP distributed nutritious food packs to all 50 of their staff members. Pick n Pay and Food Lover’s Market partnered with HPP, with Pick n Pay providing a fruit pack and Food Lover’s Market providing a discount on the fresh soup pack. HPP added to the bag a chocolate and a non-perishable dry soup pack for each staff member.
Many thanks to HPP Board Member, Ann Wright for co-ordinating the event.
On the Move to Strengthen our Operations
HPP will soon be relocating to a new, dedicated control room at the Mussel Centre. The expanded space will allow for improved operational oversight, better working conditions for our surveillance team and enhanced coordination during incidents. We are grateful for the expertise of our Project Manager, Paul Langguth of Due South Civils and Construction, who is guiding a timely and cost-effective buildout. The move marks an important step in strengthening our public safety infrastructure.
Working Together to Keep Hermanus Safe
1 July to 31 July 2025
Reports Received
416
Arrests
6
Waste Collected (KGs)
1300
Public Safety and Environmental Interventions
Recent interventions to support a safe and clean environment included:
- Individuals displaying suspicious behaviour, engaging in aggressive begging, loitering while intoxicated, or operating as unauthorised car guards were monitored and, where necessary, escorted out of the SRA.
- Fights in the CBD were de-escalated and those involved were removed from the area.
- Suspected poaching activity was reported to the relevant authorities.
- HPP assisted SAPS with several cases involving stolen vehicles, resulting in arrests.
- A vehicle involved in a hit-and-run was traced and reported to SAPS.
- Stolen vehicles were located and reported.
- A dangerous weapon was discovered during a search, and SAPS effected an arrest.
- A male suspect was apprehended after chasing another individual in the CBD. A firearm was recovered and handed over to SAPS.
- HPP assisted shop owners in facilitating the arrest of shoplifting suspects.
- A small dog was reunited with its owner.
- A broken bench along the Cliff Path was reported to the Overstrand Municipality.
- Additional cleaning was undertaken in targeted areas, including Platbank in Westcliff, the Grotto Beach braai area, the bushes behind Dutchies, and the path near 241 Main Road, Eastcliff.
Quick thinking leads to recovery of stolen phones
On Tuesday, 16 July at 14h00, HPP Public Safety Officer Lwando Maqume responded immediately after a shop owner reported that a cell phone had been stolen from his premises.
With support from the HPP Control Room and the local camera network, PSO Maqume launched a focused search based on the description provided and located three young individuals. During his investigation, he found two cell phones in their possession. One of the phones rang when a second shop owner called it, confirming that it too had been stolen.
Both phones were successfully recovered and returned to their rightful owners and the youths admitted to the theft. While SAPS was contacted, the owners chose not to press charges due to the age of the children. SAPS officers later escorted the minors to their homes to speak with their parents.
HPP commends Officer Maqume for his professionalism and swift action. We again urge business owners in the CBD not to leave valuables unattended or in plain sight, as incidents like these can happen within moments.
Meet the Team | Juan Havenga: Committed to His Community
Each month, we introduce a member of the HPP team. This month, we feature Juan Havenga, our Surveillance and Field Supervisor.
Juan Havenga has been part of HPP for eight years. During this time, he has taken on a range of roles, including CCTV operator, patroller, and now his current position overseeing surveillance and field operations.
Originally from Hermanus, Juan chose to remain in his hometown even as others in his family entered the prison services elsewhere. After a brief stint in mechanics, he shifted to public safety, where he found a strong sense of purpose. His local knowledge, paired with practical experience, has been instrumental in operations such as ATM scam investigations and emergency incident response.
“What drives me is helping people,” he says. “I’ve grown with HPP, and now I try to share what I’ve learnt with others.”
Juan speaks with pride about the team dynamic at HPP. He emphasises that success comes down to working together. “You see both the good and the bad. But it’s how we support one another that matters. Hermanus is growing. With that growth come new challenges, but vigilance and teamwork go a long way.”
He believes strongly in the model HPP represents: a well-connected, community-driven approach to public safety. “If more towns had something like this, they would be in a far better position to manage crime and look after their public spaces.”
That is all for now and as always, HPP urges our readers to remain vigilant and to be safe.
Jerry van Niekerk
HPP Chair