Mini budget must address crime scourge - Cosatu
Cosatu wants Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana to put some money aside to address the scourge of crime when he tabled his Medium Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS).
Godongwana wil table the mini budget in the National Assembly on Wednesday.
Spokesperson Sizwe Pamla says government needs to expand the country’s law enforcement agencies.
"Crime is becoming a big big problem in this country. The numbers of police officers are declining. In 2000 we had 200 000 police and now we have 172 000. That is a problem."
Crime statistics for the second quarter of this year have shown that 855 women and 243 children were killed in South Africa between April and June.
Over 11 thousand assault with the intent to do grievous bodily harm cases were also opened with the police in the same period, while at least one child is reported missing every five hours in South Africa.
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One of the latest cases involves four-year old Bokgabo Poo who was kidnapped in Benoni, on the East Rand two weeks ago.
Poo was abducted at a park near her home while she was playing with a friend.
She was later certified dead a day later with some of her body parts missing.
Ntokozo Zikhali, who is accused of killing her, has appeared in court.
