Your neighbours. Your safety. Your CPF.
Know your CPF, know your community: the Rustenburg CPF’s guide explains how to identify legitimate members, find your sector representatives and connect with local safety structures.
Platinum Weekly newspaper | Rustenburg – Sometimes, helping someone starts with a flat tyre or a water leak. Sometimes, it means supporting a person facing crime or gender-based violence. For Rustenburg’s Community Policing Forum (CPF), serving the community means caring about the people behind every call for help.
CPF chairperson Marcus Haasbroek says that commitment comes from the heart. “For us, the CPF is more than something to do. It is our passion,” he said. “We are proud to serve Rustenburg and happy to help anyone who needs us.”
While community safety remains central to its work, Haasbroek says members also lend a hand with everyday difficulties, particularly those affecting elderly residents. These small acts of support reflect the same purpose that drives the forum’s community projects: being there when people need help.
Working alongside the South African Police Service (SAPS), security companies and Rustenburg Municipality, the CPF helps connect residents with those responsible for their safety. “We have helped close the communication gap between the community and SAPS,” Haasbroek said. “It is encouraging to see the different role players working together, alongside the CPF.”
For residents, knowing who represents their neighbourhood is an important part of building that trust. The CPF encourages people to ask members to verify their identity. Active members carry a pocket-sized photo identification card showing their name, sector and identification number. Newly appointed members can provide an official membership letter on Rustenburg CPF letterhead, signed by their sector chairperson or an executive member, with identifying information and contact details.
Residents can also visit the community notice board inside Rustenburg Police Station. It displays the boundaries of sectors 1 to 6, covering areas from the eastern parts of town to Safari Gardens and beyond, along with committee members’ names, photographs and contact numbers for emergencies and community reporting. Anyone wanting to join the CPF, check a member’s credentials or find their sector can enquire at the station or speak to the relevant Sector Community Policing Officer (CPO), who serves as a link between residents, the CPF and SAPS.
Haasbroek also addressed safety during voting, saying police and other role players would assist with visible policing and additional resources on the ground. He urged residents to remain vigilant, calm and patient, particularly when queues, weather conditions or heightened emotions make the process frustrating.
Through both practical assistance and partnerships, the CPF’s message is personal: a safer Rustenburg begins with people who care enough to get involved.
For photos of the CPF executive committee, read the article on our website.
