Criminal syndicates to be expelled from townships, says Makhura
GAUTENG Premier David Makhura has set his sights on hounding out global criminal syndicates with close links to terrorist organisations and the most wanted criminals in the province.
Makhura said his two-pronged strategy was to ensure that black business people in townships operate their business without any interference while also ensuring that Gauteng becomes a safe place to live.
Delivering his final State of the Province Address (Sopa) at the Gauteng provincial legislature sitting in Alberton in Ekurhuleni yesterday, Makhura appeared confident that he would succeed in his bid to fight crime and corruption.
Makhura said he had received complaints from businesses and co-operatives that some of the by-laws promulgated by municipalities were impeding the growth of township businesses.
“Township entrepreneurs also complain about illegally operated businesses that sell toxic foodstuffs and counterfeit goods. They further allege that money obtained through drugs and other illicit dealings is being laundered through some of the businesses.
“People of Gauteng, let me make it clear: we will not allow global criminal syndicates to take over our townships and displace genuine township business.
“We are determined to close any illegally operated business in every part of our province,” Makhura said.
His call came as concerns were raised in the past that some of these shops in townships and the CBD were cash cows for terrorist organisations.
But according Makhura, law enforcement agencies were already combing municipality by municipality and township by township as well as the suburbs and CBDs to put a stop to these criminal activities. Makhura said his plans to root out criminal activities, including cash-in-transit heists in Gauteng, were showing signs of great improvement following the appointment of the new provincial commissioner of police, Lieutenant-General Elias Mawela, last week.
He said Mawela’s appointment was accompanied by the reorganisation of the SAPS in Gauteng which resulted in the deployment of high-ranking police officers and shifting resources to clusters and police stations with a high crime rate.
“The SAPS reorganisation will include the re-establishment and resourcing of more specialised police units in our province to deal with crimes such as gender-based violence, house and business robberies, car hijackings, farm murders, drugs, gangsterism, counterfeit goods and cash-in-transit heists,” Makhura said.
He said he has agreed with Mawela and his provincial leadership that one of their “urgent priorities” was to ensure that the 20 most wanted criminals in Gauteng were put behind bars within the next three months.