The Mount Vernon Delta Patrollers Academy (DPA), which covers a large area between Mount Vernon and Bellair, have been applauded for their unwavering service to their community during the civil unrest and looting that took place in July.
Since the events that unfolded remain fresh in the minds of residents, the community has looked to the Deltas as their saving grace. The community said they owe a huge debt to the Delta Academy for their bravery displayed during a time of conflict and fear. The DPA have now set their sights on another community initiative and once again aim to give back to their community through the rehabilitation of the Ducasse Park, situated in the heart of Hillary. The Deltas’ co-leader, Riki Devnarain, said they provided safety and protection to the community since 2019 and they will continue to do so. “We have been involved in many community projects as well as safety and security projects. We decided to take up the initiative to clean up the Ducasse Park and rehabilitate the area because we felt that our community needs a place to be able to go to with their friends and family to relax and maybe braai or have a picnic. We recently embarked on a massive clean-up campaign where we invited community members to come out and lend a helping hand to this long-awaited project,” said Devnarain.
The park, in the past, has been known to attract nefarious characters which destroyed not just the property but also the reputation of this once peaceful hidden gem. The area was turned into a dumping ground for many and with the help and vision of Devnarain and his team, the park is now taking shape and will soon be restored to a once serene and peaceful recreational area. “With the assistance from Ward Councillor Samantha Windvogel and the Department of Parks and Recreation, we are hoping that this project to rehabilitate the park will commence soon,” Devnarain said. In recent years, the park has been left in ruins as it became a heaven for vagrants, drug dealers and petty criminals. A local business owner from the Hillary shopping centre said: “Drug dealers and vagrants have made this park a place where they conduct their illicit business. We as business owners, need this project to get underway as we need to rid our community of such deviants. Rehabilitating the park will remove issues of unwanted individuals frequenting the area.”
Devnarain said his team is ready to tackle this project head on but with little to no funding, it has been challenging. “Thus far, we (DPA), have been operating on the few donations that we have received from our community members but we have also taken funds from our personal accounts to put into the first clean-up project. I called in a friend who owns a Bobcat that came in and helped with the clean-up. We were able to remove close to four tons of dirt and rubble.” Devnarain said, with the blessing from Parks and Recreation, the first community get-together will be on Heritage Day, where they will be encouraging residents to come out and spend the day at Ducasse Park. For more information on the next clean-up initiative and for donations, call Riki Devnarain on 082-414-1147 or email rikid@vodamail.co.za.
