President Cyril Ramaphosa Affirms To Curb Crime, Improve Regional Safety

President Cyril Ramaphosa expressed confidence in Bheki Cele, Minister of Police of South Africa, to fight crime in view of the increasing criminal cases in the country due to social and economic conditions following COVID-19. He further affirmed the authorities have taken enough measures to improve local safety and security.

This came in response to the question asked by Members of Parliament in the National Assembly Chamber Thursday regarding the increasing crime rate in the country.

"A central pillar of our fight against crime is to ensure that communities are able to contribute to improving local safety and security through effective Community Policing Forums," the president answered. "In line with the recommendations of the Expert Panel into the July 2021 Civil Unrest, we have taken steps to ensure that there are CPFs (Community Policing Forum) at all police stations throughout the country."

Ramaphosa pointed out that there are 1156 police stations in the country that have active CPFs, adding that the "SAPS Act is being amended to strengthen the functioning of CPFs including through the provision of adequate resources."

"Government does not have a policy on devolving policing powers to provinces as policing is a national competency," the president added. "We have for both criminality generally and also Gender-Based Violence (GBV) has been demonstrably taking action to make sure that we address this."

The president noted that the crime and violence in the country are rooted in the social and economic conditions, which worsened due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"These conditions are characterized by extreme inequality and poverty, spatial segregation and high levels of unemployment," he said. "Many of the factors that contribute to crime go far beyond the scope of the mandate of the Department of Police."

"Central to the programme of government and our ongoing engagement with social partners are measures to address the social and economic conditions that fuel crime. At the same time, effective policing is critical to curbing crime and violence," he continued.

Violent crime in South Africa increased exponentially between October and December last year, according to multiple reports. Overall criminal activities such as murder, assault, and robberies increased by 11.6% last year compared to 2021.

Ramaphosa further said he was confident that Cele is competent enough to make the people of the country feel safe. He added that the Department of Police, under the Minister's leadership, developed the Integrated Crime and Violence Prevention Strategy, which includes an initiative to increase the number of SAPS (South African Police Service) members to improve visibility and capacity.

The strategy also aims to enhance the skills of the specialized units developed for Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Units, Organized Crime Units, Public Order Units, and Tactical Response Teams.

In conclusion, Ramaphosa said "crime is not just a policing issue but also a societal issue," due to which "strengthening of Community Policing Forums and other community-based initiatives is an essential part of an effective response to crime."