Waterberg Security Initiative

🌿 OUR TOWN, OUR PRIDE — LET’S WORK TOGETHER FOR VAALWATER 🌿
Dear Vaalwater community,
WSI was approached to take the lead in planning our town gardens, helping to clean up Vaalwater and creating a town we can all be proud of—a welcoming, attractive and safe place for residents and tourists alike.
With the approval of the WSI Board, we have formed a small committee to get this project started. The current members are Annalie Smit, Amanda du Toit, Waltella Maree, MJ Pretorius and Monica Meadon, with Ken Maud and Henk Tijssen from Eating My Way Nursery serving as advisers.
The project will operate through WSI as a separate, self-sustaining division, funded through donations and community support. We have already received some encouraging feedback, but its lasting success will depend on our whole community getting involved.
Our first concern: the gardens along the main roads
While the road improvements have made the main routes neater, residents have raised concerns that the amount of concrete and steel does not reflect the character of our town. Thoughtful landscaping could help soften this appearance and complement our Waterberg surroundings.
The feedback we have received is that SANRAL plans to plant grass and trees. We have raised concerns that grass could attract roaming livestock, creating feeding areas close to traffic and increasing the risk of accidents, injuries and harm to animals.
We were advised that two people would be appointed to monitor the animals and that animals found on the road would be taken to a pound. However, Vaalwater does not have an animal pound, which raises serious questions about how this would work in practice.
We have submitted alternative design ideas, as attached, using stones and suitable plants that are less likely to attract grazing animals. According to the latest feedback received, SANRAL intends to proceed with its own plans and has declined to meet with the comittee. We have not yet been given the detailed landscaping designs beyond the proposed grass and trees.
We want our community’s voice to be heard.
Our proposed next steps are to:
• Gather community support, ideas and concerns so that we can present a united and constructive position.
• Involve the media to draw attention to the concerns and encourage meaningful engagement with SANRAL.
• Write to SANRAL’s leadership and the Minister of Transport, requesting intervention and proper consultation with our community.
Our aim is to work towards a practical, attractive and sustainable solution that takes local conditions and road safety into account.
This project will reach much further than the main roads.
We also want to improve gardens and open spaces throughout Vaalwater, encourage everyone to keep our town clean and tidy, and work with the relevant authorities to ensure that heavy vehicles use their designated parking areas.
There is much to consider, including funding, watering, maintenance, litter collection and ongoing care. We want to plan carefully so that the improvements we make can be maintained for years to come.
🤝 We need your support, your ideas and your involvement.
Whether you can contribute plants, materials, equipment, expertise, time or a financial donation, every contribution can help. Please also share your suggestions, concerns and the areas you believe should receive attention first.
This is our town, and we are all part of its future. Let’s stand together and help make Vaalwater a place we are proud to call home and proud to share with visitors.

🌿 Our vision for Vaalwater’s town gardens

The attached storyboard illustrates our proposed approach:

• Stone instead of grass to avoid attracting roaming grazing animals to the roads.
• Indigenous plants to preserve our town’s natural bushveld character.
• Simple, easy-to-maintain gardens for a sustainable community project.
• Waterwise succulents and aloes to reduce watering needs while adding colour and beauty.

Together, we can create a welcoming town that reflects the character of the Waterberg.

🎩 Help Us Make a Difference! 🖤✨

Our WSI Great Gatsby Fundraising Dinner is almost fully booked, and we are now looking for auction items to help us raise funds for the safety and security of our community.

Do you have a hunting package, accommodation voucher, experience, product, service, or gift you could donate? Every contribution, big or small, makes a difference.

✨ As a donor, your business will receive valuable exposure and public acknowledgement during the event and in our marketing, giving you the opportunity to showcase your support for the community.

Every rand raised from the auction is invested directly back into expanding our camera network, supporting our ARVs, and strengthening security throughout the WSI area.

If you would like to donate an auction item, please contact Annalie Smit.

Together, we keep our community safe. 💙🛡️

✨ The excitement is building! ✨

Although we're still three months away from our WSI Great Gatsby Fundraising Dinner & Auction, the response to our table bookings has been absolutely overwhelming.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who has already booked their tables and is supporting this special event. Your enthusiasm and commitment mean so much to us.

If you've been thinking about joining us, now is the time to book your table! We are filling up quickly and, at the current rate, we expect to be fully booked well before the event.

It's wonderful to see that the WSI fundraising functions have become one of Vaalwater's premier social events—an evening where friends, families, and the community come together for a night of elegance, laughter, entertainment, and a great cause.

📅 Saturday, 31 October 2026
📍 AWA Auction Grounds
🎩 Great Gatsby Theme
👗 Dress: Semi-Formal
🍽️ R600 per person | Tables of 8 or 10

Don't miss out on what promises to be an unforgettable evening while making a real difference to the safety and security of our community.

Book your table today before they're all gone!

✨🎩 STEP INTO THE ROARING TWENTIES FOR A CAUSE THAT MATTERS! 🎩✨

Join us for the WSI Annual Fundraising Dinner & Auction on Saturday, 31 October 2026 at 18H00 at the AWA Auction Grounds.

Experience an unforgettable Great Gatsby evening filled with elegance, fine dining, exciting auction items, and community spirit.

🍽️ R600 per person (3-course meal included)
🍷 Cash Bar
🎟️ Book a table of 8 or 10 guests
👔 Dress: Semi-Formal Gatsby Elegance

Every ticket and every auction bid directly supports the Waterberg Security Initiative's mission to keep our community safe, secure, and protected.

✨ A Night of Elegance. A Cause Worth Supporting. ✨

📞 Bookings & Enquiries:
Annalie Smit
073 470 9178

🎷✨ WSI Fundraiser – Gatsby Glam 2026 ✨🎷

Step into a night of glamour, jazz, and great company! 🥂

📅 31 October 2026
📍 AWA Auction Grounds
🕠 17:30

Enjoy a full set menu evening – no queues, just sit back and be served 🍽️
🎟️ R600 p/p | Tables of 8 or 10

🔥 Live Auction | Raffle | Secret Envelopes
🎶 Live Jazz Band
👗 Prize for Best Dressed Couple

All funds go directly towards keeping our area safe through WSI operations.

👉 Book your table now & don’t miss out on this Gatsby “jol”!

📅 SAVE THE DATE – WSI FUNDRAISER 2026 🎷✨
Dear Members & Community
Please keep the evening of 31 October 2026 open for our annual WSI Fundraising Event, taking place at the AWA Auction Grounds.
We invite you to join us for what promises to be a spectacular Gatsby-themed evening—a night of glamour, fun, and great company, all in support of a cause that directly benefits each and every one of us. 🥂
We kindly ask for your support in:
• Booking a table for the event
• Sponsoring hunting or accommodation packages for our auction
The success of this event is vital to WSI. Every rand raised goes straight back into the safety and security of our area.
Thanks to last year’s fundraising efforts, we were able to:
• Repair and upgrade our camera system, keeping it fully functional and up to date with technology
• Implement lime baths to help protect our area against Foot and Mouth Disease
• Support our ARV patrols with additional fuel, ensuring continued visibility despite rising fuel costs
• Absorb increases from service providers without increasing member fees
Without this event, none of the above would have been possible.
We once again ask you to open your hearts and support this initiative—together we continue to build a safer, stronger community.
A sincere thank you to AWA for once again making their facilities available to WSI. Their continued support plays an important role in the success of this event, and we truly value the partnership. It is also great to see operations returning to normal. We also wish them a successful auction season ahead, especially now that Foot and Mouth restrictions have been lifted and animals are once again allowed in the bomas.
We look forward to celebrating with you at what will surely be a memorable Gatsby “jol”!