Grassy Park buzzed with excitement as cops and crime-fighters
hosted a special ceremony to congratulate the top matric pupils from the class of 2019.
On arrival at the Calvinist Church in Third Avenue, the matriculants and their parents were greeted by station commander Colonel Dawood Laing and his team as well as members of the Community Policing Forum (CPF).
Laing says the aim of the ceremony was to show young people the community recognises their achievements.
The top three pupils from six high schools across the precinct - including Fairmount, Zeekoevlei, Grassdale, Grassy Park, Pelican Park and Lotus River - were invited to the ceremony, where the teens received acknowledgement certificates.
REWARDED: The special ceremony for top matrics
“An event like this has never happened in Grassy Park and it is aimed at congratulating and awarding the matrics in our area for how well they have done,” said Laing.
“The fact that you made the ranks of the top achievers, it shows you made the right choices.
“You have decided that in an area where we have drug abuse, violence and all these things, you came out and rose above.
“I really want to salute all of you because it is not easy in an area like this.
“On the Cape Flats, we are always challenged. Some of us don’t always have nice jeans and takkies, but these gangsters and drug dealers in our areas just throw some money around, and our children fall for the joke and become part of the statistics. But you made the right choices.”
APPLAUD: Colonel Dawood Laing
He urged the teens that as they become students and enjoy life at university, to focus on their
studies and not waste their parents’ money.
“I have been a single parent raising two children and university is no joke. When my laaitie started university, it cost R75 000 and my daughter R60 000.
"If you bunk, they won’t phone your parents, the professor will keep giving his class and there goes the money.”
The top cop thanked the CPF and Captain Wynita Kleinsmith for hosting the event, but slammed local businesses, who he says let them down by refusing to make donations to the event.
MEMENTO: Certificate of merit
CPF chairperson Melvin Jonkers says the ceremony will become an annual event and the CPF will be awarding R1 000 to the top three matrics in the precinct, but are awaiting the official figures from the Western Cape Education Department.
Mom Mary Williams thanked the cops for the event, saying seeing her daughter being honoured made her proud.
monique.duval@inl.co.za