Seven months after the Whistles for Weapons programme was launched, Sheriff Annerie Wolmarans is already seeing promising results. Two would-be victims of crime have blown their safety whistles and been rescued from their attackers, she said.
Seven months after the Whistles for Weapons programme was launched, Sheriff Annerie Wolmarans is already seeing promising results. Two would-be victims of crime have blown their safety whistles and been rescued from their attackers, she said.
A woman in Extension 9 was assaulted in her home in what is believed was an attempted rape. When she blew her whistle, neighbours alerted the police who came to her rescue. A girl in Fukani was also saved from assault recently after blowing her whistle, and the sheriff’s office received a phone call expressing the girl's gratitude for the whistle which probably saved her life.
Wolmarans, along with Captain Mali Govender, the local SAPS spokesperson, have been working to raise awareness about the whistles so that when they're blown, people know how to respond. Statistics indicate that many crimes occur just 400 metres away from the victim’s home. In such situations, a whistle blast could alert family or neighbours nearby, who could prevent the crime as it unfolds.
Whistles have been handed out at schools around Grahamstown, but there are still many to go. In addition to a whistle, the children also receive a hand-knitted teddy bear, produced by unemployed women in Grahamstown who are paid R10 per teddy. The children are also taught when to appropriately use the whistle, and to always keep it around their necks.
“We’re going from school to school and strength to strength,” said Wolmarans. She hopes to eventually expand the whistle distribution to old age homes too, where residents are vulnerable to attacks.
The whistles come from Cape Town, where they are shipped in from Japan. If bought in bulk, they cost R4 per whistle. A blast on these whistles can be heard from one kilometer away. Aside from a few donations, Wolmarans has so far funded the project privately.
