Joburg mayor unveils satellite facility to fight crime
17 August 2017
Kenilworth, Turffontein and Rosettenville – three suburbs in southern Johannesburg that were earlier this year rocked by a wave of criminality including drug peddling, human trafficking and prostitution – have their own satellite operations centre manned by Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) officers.
The facility, the first of its kind in Johannesburg, was officially unveiled by Johannesburg Executive Mayor Herman Mashaba and Member of the Mayoral Committee for Public Safety Cllr Michael Sun on Wednesday August 16.
Situated in Kenilworth, the centre is to serve as an operational office for JMPD officers and as a safe haven for the victims of sexual assault and human trafficking. It will also serve as an administrative facility, where residents can have their documents certified, and as a home of the local policing forums.
The property housing the satellite station was donated to the City of Johannesburg by the Southern Business Community Forum to improve safety and security in the three crime-ridden areas. The suburbs were in the news earlier this year when residents rose up against druglords and prostitution rings and torched their properties, prompting Mayor Mashaba to visit the areas, in Region F, to urge the community not to take the law into their own hands.
A subsequent joint South African Police Service and JMPD crime operation smoked out several criminal elements and illegal immigrants.
In his address to residents and other stakeholders on Wednesday, Mayor Mashaba said the opening of the station was an indication of what was possible when the government and civil society worked together.
“This is such an exciting day and I am truly excited to be here,” Mashaba said.
The Mayor commended the Southern Business Community Forum for its “generous gesture”, which he said would enable the City to bring services closer to the people and ensure there was a high JMPD visibility.
“When private and public partnerships pool their resources, know-how and expertise to deliver services, everyone wins. Together, the City and its communities can win the war against crime,” said Mayor Mashaba.
He said he could not as Mayor stand by and watch people being kicked out of their houses by crime syndicates.
Mayor Mashaba said the initiative was in line with the objectives of Rosettenville’s Reclaim Our Community movement, which is tackling property hijackings and human trafficking.
“As a City, we cannot stand back and allow our residents to fall prey to criminals,” he said.
Benjamin Meyer of the Southern Business Community Forum said it was crucial for communities to work closely with the City to address challenges they were facing.
“We’re all in this together. Let’s restore the south to the glory that it deserves. We will not allow our small children to walk past drug dens,” said Meyer.
MMC for Health and Social Development Cllr Mpho Phalatse said the facility would ensure that sexual assault survivors received the assistance they needed. She said she was grateful that MMC Sun thought of incorporating this among services the facility was offering.