Residents take charge

Devon Valley was burning a year ago and a teenage arsonist was on the loose. When he was finally arrested, farmworkers set up their own neighbourhood watch to ensure the valley was not terrorised again.

The Devon Valley Neighbourhood Watch has so far apprehended 10 people who are suspected of committing a crime.

"When I first came here, you could walk from farm to farm without any crime," said vice-chairman Erico Robyn. But things started getting worse in about 2006 and owners started fencing their farms."

He said drug abuse among the youth remained the biggest challenge, but neighbourhood watch members had made significant strides in weeding out repeat offenders.

The group has 17 members and moves on foot through the winelands. They work in tandem with established security group Stellenbosch Watch, a partnership between businesses and an armed response group.

Stellenbosch Watch CEO Antoon van Zyl said Devon Valley was a model of how the farming community could fight crime.

Heinright Prins, chairman of Devon Valley Neighbourhood Watch, said: "It's about teamwork. If you have a team like ours, you will definitely beat crime. We talk to the people. We even have our own counselling group. If there's violence in a home, then we get involved."

Don Maxwell, a farmer and retired engineer, said the Watch had united the valley. "The gees is unbelievable. It has gender equality - five of our 17 members are female patrollers protecting their families and livelihoods. It's hard to keep these guys at home. We've all gained the value of a tightly bonded and valued community."