Cele to host crime prevention summit
Police minister Bheki Cele will host a two-day national crime prevention summit from Thursday.
The summit in Boksburg seeks to create a joint vision on safety and will provide a platform for experts to discuss the 2016 White Paper on Safety and Security.
It comes hard on the heels of bleak crime statistics released on Tuesday‚ indicating that serious crimes‚ including murder‚ attempted murder and sexual offences‚ were rising.
In 2017/2018‚ 20‚336 murders were recorded‚ an average of 57 people killed every day.
“It is also aimed at developing consensus on the role of government‚ civil society‚ private sector and communities in promoting safety outcomes‚ facilitating the establishment of institutional mechanisms for the implementation of the White Paper,” the police said.
It would also involve “building networks and [encouraging] collaboration and co-production of community safety initiatives”.
The White Paper, adopted by the cabinet in April 2016‚ was aimed at addressing crime and violence proactively and promoting an integrated approach to safety.
“[It] proposes a ‘whole of government and whole of society’ approach for successful implementation.”
The plans “will be coordinated and monitored through an integrated strategy‚ which provides a framework for the implementation of the White Paper”, the police department said.