Newly-elected Woodstock Community Policing Forum (CPF) chairman, Cedric Thomas, says he is grateful for the support shown by the community
Mr Thomas, from Woodstock, was elected at the CPF’s annual general meeting at Community House, Salt River, on Wednesday May 26.
Woodstock police’s Lieutenant-Colonel Anton van der Berg said the meeting should have been held last year but was postponed because of Covid-19.
More than 100 people were at the meeting, including representatives from ratepayers’ associations, neighbourhood watches, schools and businesses.
Mr Thomas takes over from previous chairman, Youssef Kanouni, who was at the helm for more than two years.
Mr Thomas previously held the position in the mid-1990s. He was also the ward councillor for Woodstock, Observatory, Salt River and parts of Mowbray from 2006 till 2011.
Last year, he started #Sew4Safety, a mask-making initiative, with the Woodstock Community Action Network (CAN), to distribute free masks to the most vulnerable (“Sewing angels make masks for all,” Southern Suburbs Tatler, May 14, 2020).
He is also the public relations officer for U-Watch, which won the “neighbourhood watch group of the year” award from the City of Cape Town last year. (“U-Watch crowned top watch group,”Southern Suburbs Tatler, December 3, 2020).
Mr Thomas said he wanted to spruce up the Woodstock police station building. “We would like to try to rally the businesses in the community. Even if it doesn’t happen overnight, we can do small things to make the station look fresh and inviting,” he said.
The rest of the new executive were elected unopposed. They are deputy chairperson Iqbal Kasker, secretary Megan Brown, treasurer Warda Rahim, public relations officer Gary Adams, project co-ordinator Kaamielah Davids and alternative members Sheradia Brown, Hester Burgh and Shaun Savage.
Ms Rahim said she was honoured to serve on the Woodstock CPF executive. “It is good to be working with people who will work towards the common goal of enhancing and improving Woodstock and neighbouring areas and we do this as volunteers,” she said.
Woodstock station commander, Colonel Delvyn Matroos, said he was satisfied with how the election process went.
“We as a police station will be committed to working with the new CPF executive to work towards the goal of making Woodstock and surrounding areas a safer place for the community,” he said.
