Building social cohesion and fighting crime and corruption
PREMIER SIHLE ZIKALALA has made a heartfelt plea to the people of KwaZulu-Natal to reflect deeply on crime and play their part in reducing the scourge that has claimed lives and caused intense pain for many families.
He urged the people of KwaZulu-Natal not to keep quiet when they see or hear of crimes taking place.
“Do not keep quiet if you know who is planning to burn trucks on our roads. Do not buy stolen goods or bribe police officers. Only we can put an end to the shame that has made Inanda, Umlazi, and Plessislaer to be notorious for violent crimes including rape and murder. We reject those who want to tarnish Radical Economic Transformation by behaving illegally and sabotaging our economy. In this regard, we support the establishment of task teams by national government to put an end to extortion and violence on construction sites,” Zikalala said.
The province was also deeply concerned by the recent rise in the murder of traditional leaders. Zikalala said this was condemned in the strongest terms and has directed law enforcement to prioritise these crimes. The province was also establishing an inter-departmental task team made up of senior officials from the Office of the Premier, Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs and Treasury to process all matters affecting AmaKhosi and Izinduna.
As monitoring police service delivery was of utmost importance to government, Zikalala said there was a concerted effort to ensure higher standards of policing. The operation Siyahlola under the Premier’s Office working with Community Safety and
Liaison will (PAY)dedicate focus on policing.
In addition, there were focused strategies to closely monitor and evaluate police stations, especially the top 30 high crime police stations in the province. These stations include, amongst others, Inanda, Umlazi, Plessislaer, KwaMashu, Mariannhill, Verulam, KwaMakhutha, KwaDabeka, Ntuzuma, Mountain Rise and Esikhaleni. Zikalala said the provincial programmes demonstrated moving solidly away from being a social welfare state to one, which in line with global best practice, is focussed squarely on socioeconomic development.
The social development approach prescribes feasible economic policy solutions to socio-economic problems which emanate from the triple challenges of poverty, unemployment and inequality.
Over the coming year, the province is expected to roll out programmes in Sports, Arts, Education and Social Development. These will foster social stability, promote talents and further create economic opportunities for jobs, entrepreneurship, Zikalala said. In delivering his State of the Province address recently, Zikalala said gender-based violence remained one of the worst scars in our society, touching every community regardless of race, faith or economic status. This year, the province will be unveiling more Khuseleka One Stop and White Door Centres of Hope for victims of GBV. This is part of the Five-Pillar programme which consists of Prevention, Awareness, Care and Support to victims, Strengthening the judiciary and support programmes which empower women.
These centres are in every
aspecial district and local municipality, with two new sites identified in Ugu and Richards Bay as being suitable for the establishment of shelters for abused women.
As part of the plan to improve community police relations, 1 225 social crime volunteers will be deployed across the province.