ANC: Govt making ‘concerted effort’ to bring down levels of crime
ANC national spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri says the government is committed to addressing the high levels of crime in the country.
Bhengu-Motsiri’s comment comes as several of the country’s provinces have recently launched Festive Season Safety Campaigns.
Some of the provinces that have launched the festive season safety campaigns include KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has also deployed about 3 300 soldiers from the South African National Defence Force to assist the police in fighting crime, with a focus on illegal mining.
Bhengu-Motsiri addressed the media at the party’s Luthuli House headquarters in Johannesburg on Thursday.
“South Africa is currently facing a serious issue of crime,” she said.
“This is of utmost concern to the ANC and to the ANC-led government. Creating a safe and secure environment is critical for the country’s economic development and growth and to achieve this the government is focusing on increasing the visibility of the police, providing them with better training and improving resources available at police stations.
“To combat crimes that are causing economic disruptions, SAPS and the NPA have set up specialised units. We also have a matter of gender-based violence which is a significant concern in South Africa. The government is making concerted efforts to put an end to violence against women and children.
“The government is committed to improving the accessibility and the functioning of the sexual offences courts and expanding the network of Thuthuzela care centres”.
She said the SAPS and SANDF have both recruited additional personnel to help combat crime.
“The government has been busy recruiting new police personnel, with over 10 000 new police officers already trained and another 10 000 to be recruited and trained.
“The South African National Defence Force has employed 880 members to support the police in combating criminal activity that is targeting our critical economic infrastructure. SAPS has established 20 economic infrastructure task teams throughout the country to protect critical infrastructure and tackle the construction mafia.”
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