The Dube Neighbourhood Watch patrollers received a resounding show of support from residents at a public meeting held at the YMCA Hall in Dube on Sunday, 19 April 2026 — as they announced plans to start charging for their services from May 2026.
For more than a decade, the Dube Neighbourhood Watch patrollers have stood guard over their community — through rain, cold, and the dead of night — without receiving a single cent in return. That chapter is now coming to an end.
On Sunday, 19 April 2026, the patrollers held a packed public meeting at the YMCA Hall in Dube, presenting residents with a range of security services and products they will begin selling to the community from May 2026.
The presentation was led by Ms. Ntswaki Phali, Chairperson of the Dube Patrollers, who made it clear that while the passion to protect their community remains unchanged, the patrollers can no longer afford to serve for free.
Ms. Phali explained that the organisation is registered on two fronts — as both a profit-making company and a non-profit organisation — since its formal registration in 2021. Prior to this, the patrollers operated under the Community Policing Forum (CPF) banner as volunteers for over ten years, receiving no stipend for their efforts. “The patrollers are living organisms — they need money to pay their bills, not just reflectors and compliments from the community,” said Ms. Phali.
The organisation has also invested in a series of training programmes to sharpen their capabilities, including a completed dog handlers training, with more courses in the pipeline.
“Our proposal is R200.00 minimum service fee per household monthly. Those who subscribe will receive Mosaic stickers on their walls from the beginning of May 2026.”
— Ms. Ntswaki Phali, Chairperson, Dube Neighbourhood Watch
The services and products on offer include street cameras, alarm systems, and rapid response to emergency crime calls. A minimum monthly fee of R200.00 per household has been proposed, with lay-bye options available and discounted prices on all security products. Subscribing households will receive Mosaic stickers to display on their walls from May 2026.
The organisation also has plans to paint emergency numbers on mural walls across all blocks in Dube, ensuring residents always have access to help. Ms. Phali urged community members to save and use their emergency number — 069 199 1659 — for prompt assistance. The patrollers are also fundraising to hire a dedicated patrolling vehicle to strengthen their response capability across the area.
The community’s response to the proposal was overwhelmingly positive. Resident Ms. Ntombi Nhlapo described the move as long overdue, reflecting on years of watching patrollers stationed on her street without fail, regardless of the weather. “They are parents — they need to fend for their families. They are community employees and they can’t sustain their families on food donations and R50.00 contributions.
They deserve a fixed minimum salary of R3 500 like any South African employee,” she said, pledging to pay the R200.00 monthly fee and encourage her neighbours to do the same.
Fellow resident Ms. Thabang Legodi added that even indigent households should not be exempt from the service fee, insisting that security is a necessity for all. “Our block is safe day and night because of the selflessness of these patrollers. We need to pay accordingly,” she said.
Despite challenges in securing consistent support from private companies — whom Ms. Phali described as “shifting the goalposts” — she assured residents that the organisation would not be deterred. “That will not demoralise us at all, because we prioritise community safety at all cost,” she said.
With the community firmly behind them and a clear business model in place, the Dube Neighbourhood Watch is poised to enter a new era — one where dedication to safety and financial sustainability finally go hand in hand.
