It’s not all about alcohol, Minister Cele

IT IS DIFFICULT to understand why Police Minister Bheki Cele has opted to attribute all of the highly welcomed progress in the reduction of crime during the lockdown to only one variable – the prohibition on the sale of alcohol.

Yes, maybe he is correct. But what does this mean for the confidence we should have in the capability of our law enforcement agencies?

At no point in our post-apartheid history have we had such a large number of law enforcers on our streets. It is a huge and very commendable operation that is costing the state a significant amount of money.

With sharply declining state revenue and strong competition for budget allocation among government departments, one would have expected the SAPS leadership to demonstrate to the public (and to the National Treasury) just how effective the police force can be when allocated additional resources.

You would have expected an argument that quantified the number of SANDF soldiers on domestic patrol duty and motivate that, should the Treasury fund an equal number of posts in the SAPS, the police could have a long-term positive impact in dealing with crime.

But no, Minister Cele doesn’t seem to believe that the high visibility, better co-ordination and efficacy of police operations might have been a major factor in the reduction of crime during this period.

Maybe we need to take a step back to 2010, when South Africa hosted the Soccer World Cup. In the build-up to the tournament there were a series of global reports about how dangerous our country was, and that visiting soccer lovers would become victims of crime.

That did not materialise, largely because our law enforcement agencies stepped up to the challenge.

At the end of the tournament British newspaper The Guardian wrote: “Sceptics predicted the World Cup would be a boom time for criminals in South Africa. In fact, the football appears to have led to a dramatic fall in violent offences.”

The tournament itself was sponsored by an international beer, Budweiser, which was promoted and consumed in every stadium. Screening parks, bars and taverns across the country were full of patrons enjoying the beautiful game.

Congratulations to our armed forces for a job well done despite the global scrutiny.

Unfortunately these men and women of the law have not been as effective this time. The lockdown environment is the direct opposite to that of the World Cup, when everyone went out to celebrate and police had to handle large crowds, traffic to stadiums and thousands of international visitors.

This time we have to stay at home and the majority of South Africans who are able to, have complied.

So who is out there to fight, and with whom? If the traffic was so curtailed at level 5, not to mention the roadblocks and patrols, it should follow that there would be fewer opportunities for hijacking.

The same logic applies to road accidents. Religious gatherings were banned and holiday destinations were closed – no one was travelling anywhere.

Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula reported that there was a 70% decline in vehicle movement nationally, and an 82% reduction in road accident casualties. Mbalula correctly concluded that 28 road deaths in 2020 cannot be compared to 162 deaths during Easter 2019 – it’s apples and oranges.

A more objective review of all the lockdown variables – no formal alcohol sales, stay-at-home rules and law enforcement – is needed if we are to learn anything from the current reduction in crime, road accidents and other causes of visits to hospital casualty departments.

Mngadi is spokesperson for the South African Liquor Brandowners Association (Salba)