Annelee Steyn,
Somerset West
Last night at 10.30pm (Saturday April 25), we were roused from our beds here in Steynsrust by a convoy of vehicles with blasting sirens, hooters and vuvuzelas.
My husband and I rushed out onto our balcony with hearts racing – what on earth was shattering our peace and quiet? Were there houses burning down? Had there been a mass murder? Was it an invasion of some sort? Our night of rest was ruined.
As the sound reverberated throughout our area someone on our WhatApp security group informed us that it was a “Security Drill” by some of the service providers in our area “to provide reassurance to our community that we are there for them – especially the children”.
One of the single moms on the group was extremely alarmed and said that her child “got such a fright”.
I was flabbergasted that in these uncertain times this sort of nonsense can be thought helpful or be allowed – whose ridiculous ideas was this?
All of us are feeling extremely vulnerable, nerves are frayed, emotions are wobbly, uncertainty prevails (especially in our small children), and then some siren-addicted, trigger-happy individuals think it their right to disturb our peace?
Please go away, and do what you are meant to do.
Ed’s reply:
On Saturday evening I saw that a notice was sent out on WhatsApp neighbourhood groups (mine included), that there would be a Covid-19 Emergency Services Lockdown Convoy on Saturday April 25, in Gordon’s Bay and Somerset West, with the following intention:
To show the community that we are there and they are not alone;
Provide a sense of reassurance, espcially for our children, in these undertain times;
To show some appreciation to those who leave their families to be on the road.
The intention was expressed in the notice of doing this every Saturday evening, from 7pm, and change the routes to cover more of the area, and they ask that children are also encouraged to get out and wave to show support to the men and women in the convoy.
