MUNIMEC Press Statement
Media Release
06 November 2008
Mpumalanga Safety and Security MEC Siphosezwe Masango on Tuesday met with public safety municipal councilors to discuss issues relating to safety in the province.
The meeting held in Barberton discussed issues on Integrated 2010 Safety and Security Plan, crime trends in Mpumalanga, progress on tourism and school safety, and progress on Community Safety Forum.
Crime trends
Crime in Mpumalanga has increased by two percent and it is generated by firearms, mob justice, liquor outlets, usage of drugs, witchcraft, lack of services delivery, taxi violence, organized crime and stock theft.
Although most firearms are used in committing crime, some are legal and used by police reservists. Police have recorded 14 cases of murder in Mpumalanga over the weekend. Most were generic crimes whilst others were caused by guns, knives, and domestic violence.
Mob justice is regarded as a contributor to crime. Crime suspects get murdered by community members who take law into their hands while police rush to a crime scene. The most affected areas are Masoyi and Matsulu.
People usually commit crime after having consumed too much alcohol. Liqour outlets are culprits as they do not honour the conditions of their operating licences, people commit crime when outlets close very late, when people leave the closed one for the opened ones.
Usage of drugs is highly escalating at schools. Police have discovered tick, cocaine, and guns in five schools in Bushbuckridge and learners end up mugging their teachers of their cell-phones, money to sell and buy drugs.
Involvement of security guards in the taxi industry also contributes significantly, because most of them have illegal firearms which they use during taxi violence. Property gets destroyed when people form teams to march to the municipal offices to complaint about lack of service delivery.
Community Safety Forum
The transformation of Community Policing Forums (CPFs) into Community Safety Forums (CSFs) has taken a step further. The department of Safety and Security is now focusing on recruiting and establishing offices for the CSFs.
This recruitment will be done for 31 prioritised police stations in the province. CSFs are volunteers who will be working with police to ensure safety in the communities.
The department has entered into a partnership with Old Mutual to provide furniture and computers to the CSF’s offices.
The restructuring of CPFs, which will cost the provincial government R1.55 million, will also ensure that communication between the department and the community on crime prevention is improved.
Tourism Safety Monitors
Tourism Safety Monitors (TSM) provide safety to domestic and international tourists throughout Mpumalanga. While they create a a safe and conducive environment for tourists who visit Mpumalanga, they help with increased community awareness on economic benefits of tourism.
They attend to crime likely to affect tourists such as car hijacking, theft of motor vehicles, rape, common robbery and burglary.
The monitors have been deployed according to problematic areas. At least 74 have been deployed to Gert Sibande, 61 Nkangala and 110 in the Ehlanzeni regions.
Monitors receive a stipend of R1 800 per month per person, which is inclusive of uniform and training.
They are not trained as police reserved since they provide customer care, communication and reporting mechanism to the police and have basic knowledge of how criminal justice work.
Integrated 2010 Safety and Security Plan
The FIFA LOC has requested support from Premiers and MECs to provide stewards or marshals for the 2010 FiFA World Cup.
The stewards are safety monitors working in the stadium during the World Cup matches to control the crowds. They will be trained and be ready for the 2009 Confederations Cup and the 2010 World Cup.
Stewards should be between the ages of 18 – 25 and will be paid between R250 to R350 per day and per game.
On top of the stewards, Fifa is expecting provinces to recruit 30 volunteers who will provide services for free to the 2010 LOC.
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