Gauteng Premier announces big changes for top shopping malls
Lesufi delivered the State of the Province Address at the Nasrec Expo Centre in Johannesburg on Thursday.
The day after the Premier delivered his State of the Province Address, Lesufi highlighted other crime-related issues affecting shopping malls in the province.
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Shopping malls have long been targets of criminals from syndicates to pickpockets, but they have increasingly become hotspots across the country.
The high foot traffic and crowded areas make it the ideal hunting ground, with security firms flagging rising crime levels at major shopping centres, where shoplifting and other property-related crimes have surged.
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These crimes don't just happen in stores; they occur throughout the mall.
Criminal groups target women to kidnap them, and unattended vehicles in the parking areas are easy marks, resulting in theft from and of cars.
READ: Security company warns families about rise in kidnapping at malls
The South African Police Service (SAPS) has stated that there has been a significant increase in car thefts involving remote jamming devices at centres.
Lesufi has promised to improve law enforcement to fight crime.
We are clear that to grow the economy of Gauteng, we must defeat crime, corruption, and lawlessness.
The latest crime statistics showed that murder decreased by 11% year on year, and property-related crime recorded a 7.8% decrease.
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Still, crime is a constant topic of discussion for South Africans and a part of daily life.
The Gauteng Premier’s promise of stronger policing and law enforcement aims to create a safe environment to stimulate economic growth.
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One example of this is his announcement that law enforcement agencies will be deployed to the province's three top shopping malls.
This will ensure the malls are protected during late-night shopping, as many professionals only leave work around 19h00, after which they would like to shop, he explained.
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A major reason for malls closing early is safety and crime concerns, but significant resources will now be allocated to Mall of Africa, Sandton City and Menlyn Maine.
This programme will include:
- visible policing
- plain-clothes officers stationed in the malls
- roadblocks in the surrounding area.
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According to BusinessTech, this programme is set to officially kick off on 1 June 2026 at Sandton City and Mall of Africa before moving to Menlyn Maine.
These shopping malls must be safe areas where people can go at any time without any problem of crime.
Lesufi also clarified that these three malls are just the start, and that they will monitor the programme's effectiveness before expanding the project to other malls, depending on the results of the first phase.
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