URGENT CRIME PREVENTION WARNING
The DNW relies on the radio repeater and our individual radios to prevent crime and make Doringkloof the secure suburb it is. For the privilege of having this facility we pay ICASA an annual basic radio licence fee.
The basic licence fee is more than R3000 per year and covers the licence for the repeater and 79 radios. (The 79 radios covered by the initial fee are those owned by residents who contribute more than R50 per year to the DNW, i.e. part of their contribution goes to make up the initial licence fee).
At the last DRA Committee meeting it came to light that only 52% of our residents have paid their licence fee for 2016. This means that with about 550 radios in operation in Doringkloof there are approximately 230 radios that are unlicensed and thus, strictly speaking, using our repeater illegally.
A major problem that will arise should ICASA come to hear of the current number of illegal radios in operation is for them to inspect our use of the radios in Doringkloof. The end result could very well be that individual defaulters may be fined while the DNW as a whole could permanently lose the use of a repeater (apart from also facing a hefty fine).
From the foregoing it is obvious that should we lose the repeater, the DNW will either have to resort to our former use of the PMR radios with all its shortcomings, or worse, allow the DNW to fade away due to lack of will on the part of the residents. This will naturally lead to an increase in crime; to a point where we again have regular robberies, hijackings and burglaries occurring almost every week, with many residents not only traumatized but possibly with physical injuries.
The DRA Committee has a few options available to prevent ICASA from withdrawing our licence. These could be any of the following:
1. Another appeal to all those residents who have not yet paid their licence fee to do so before the end of June 2016. Licence fees can be paid via EFT into the DRA bank account held with ABSA Bank in Centurion (Branch code 630445); Account number 4069026417, (Account Name: Doringkloof Residents Association) Your references must be: ‘Radio’ – and your street address. Do this by giving the first three characters of your street name followed by your street number. You could also approach the owners of the New Fatima Café and ask them to receive your licence fee. But, make sure that they have all your details. (This is naturally the preferred option.)
2. Should the outstanding licence fees not be received by the end of June 2016, the DRA committee may decide to change the transmission channels. Only those residents who have paid their licence fee will be allowed to re-programme their radios to the new channels, leaving the defaulters out in the cold without any means to contact the DNW should they become the victim of a crime. (It is hoped that this option never has to be exercised).
3. An addition to Option 2 could be the requirement to pay an annual fee (it could be as high as R1000 p.a. as some neighbourhood watches do) to ensure membership of the neighbourhood watch and thus access to the radio network. Many neighbourhood watches in Pretoria have already instituted this option where only those who are fully paid up members enjoy the protection that the neighbourhood watch can give. Just remember, if you become a victim of crime and you Whatsapp the DNW you will not receive any support. The Whatsapp group is a chit – chat channel and not a crime prevention channel.
The Final Word: The success of the DNW has always been that all that was asked of its members was that they buy their own radio and pay the annual licence fee. To change this advantage to where we either take people off the network if they do not pay their licence fee or levy an annual fee must be avoided if at all possible. The decision whether we remain with the current set-up, of course, lies with you, the DNW members. So – all those of you who have not yet paid – please pay your licence fee before 30 June 2016.
Regards,
DNW Team
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