MMC Lemao launches festive season safety drive

11 December 2015

 

The City of Johannesburg’s Member of the Mayoral Committee for Public Safety, Councillor Sello Lemao, has called on communities throughout the city to work with law enforcement agencies – including the South African Police Service (SAPS) and Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) – to deal decisively with crime.

 

Speaking at the launch of the City’s Festive Season Safety Campaign in Riverlea, in Region B, on Thursday December 10, MMC Lemao said there was a critical need for unity among Johannesburg communities in the fight against crime.

“The city is under siege because of crime. We need the community to work with the police to fight crime,” MMC Lemao said.

He added that the City had identified several crime hotspots in the metro that, he said, would be targeted by law enforcement agencies – particularly during the festive season - to maintain law and order.

“We decided to launch this campaign to make criminals feel unwelcome in communities. We need to form partnerships with communities to address crime and devise strategies to root out the causes of criminality,” MMC Lemao said.

He led JMPD officers, City officials, journalists and community members in a walkabout of the township – going into people's houses and asking them what their main safety concerns were. Drug abuse, break-ins, theft, robberies and assaults were the main concerns the residents raised.

“In most cases criminals terrorise residents and rob them at knife point in the morning while on their way to work," said one elderly man. Residents are even scared to report these criminals to the police because they are released within a few days after being arrested.”

The Rev Eugene Sinclair said social ills afflicting communities such as Riverlea and Noorgesig must be addressed by parents taking responsibility for their errant children.
“When my child is involved in criminal activity, my task as a parent is to discipline him and report him to the police,” Sinclair said.

He said creating job opportunities for the youth would go a long way in addressing crime.

“Making resources available will help keep idle youngsters away from engaging in criminal activity," he said.

MMC Lemao concluded by saying that the City would implement an inter-departmental programme across all seven regions to deal with problems besetting communities.

“From January to June next year all the City’s departments will visit the regions to address problems plaguing our communities,” he said.