Gauteng residents continue to live in fear of their lives and livelihoods due to the high crime rate, yet the Gauteng Department of Community Safety and Security is not doing enough to ensure residents’ safety.
The department has plans in place, yet it lacks implementation. Despite all the promises about state-of-the-art technology, nothing has materialised.
According to the department’s annual report for the 2022/23 financial year, the following were the prioritised interventions:
• The appointment of the Crime Prevention Wardens to strengthen the battle against crime, corruption, vandalism, and lawlessness;
• Establishment of the Provincial Integrated Command Centre;
• e-Security Network created;
• Establishment of the 24/7 anti-land invasion task team to assist in the fight against lawlessness;
• Monitor and police Gauteng 24/7.
Despite prioritising the above, overall crime rates in Gauteng have not declined, which is a clear indication that these interventions do not have the desired impact.
For far too long, the DA has been indicating that for these high-tech crime prevention methods to work, the department must first fix the basics.
The department must prioritise equipping all our police stations with necessary resources to curb crime, such as police vehicles, personnel, and infrastructure to ensure the safety of residents.
The DA proposes that the Gauteng Department of Community Safety, MEC Faith Mazibuko, and Gauteng Premier, Panyaza Lesufi should conduct a critical review and potential adjustments to the existing strategies to effectively address the rising crime rate. They should go back to the drawing board and include different stakeholders involved in fighting and preventing crime to come up with a proper strategy that will result in a decrease in crime rates in the province.
The safety of Gauteng residents is of utmost importance to the DA, and we will continue to engage Premier Lesufi and MEC Mazibuko to ensure that they put practical measures in place to fight crime in the province.