Gauteng Community Safety MEC, Sizakele Nkosi-Malobane, raised her concerns about crime in the province and urged police to perform their duties according to the terms of their employment.
At a senior law enforcement management meeting held at Moyeni Conference Centre, Nkosi-Malobane said, “Police are not social workers, you are not politicians but law enforcement officers. Do law enforcement and leave Thuli [Madonsela] to us. Don’t tell us that you are afraid of the Ipid [Independent Police Investigative Directorate], that is our job as politicians, not yours – your job is law enforcement. Do what you were trained to do and avoid being involved in politics, that is not your job.”
Nkosi-Malobane said the appointment of Major General Deliwe Suzan de Lange as the new Gauteng Police Commissioner brought a breath of fresh air to the organisation with her capabilities sharpened over her 33 years of service. “During [De Lange’s] tenure as cluster commander for Sebokeng, she steered the cluster to scoop the number one position in crime fighting,” she said.
“I believe that General De Lange is equipped with her wealth of experience to deal with… crimes namely murder, house/business robberies and truck hijackings. It is, therefore, critical to note our unwavering support from the premier, myself and the Gauteng team in the execution of her duties to ensure that Gauteng City Region is a safer province,” she said.
One of the immediate tasks the new leadership led by De Lange has prioritised is the implementation of the Back to Basics approach. The initiative came as a result of authorities doing a thorough introspection of the work done by law enforcement agencies to bring back public confidence in the police.
Every police officer will be doing the basics of policing and doing them properly and consistently.
These include:
- Discipline in the manner they conduct themselves
- Enhanced police visibility
- The targeted, informed deployment of operational resources to ensure the optimal utilisation of the limited resources that the police have at their disposal, ensuring that they are applied for maximum effect
- Chronic underperformance must be corrected through the development of specific recovery plans targeting the visible policing and detective service capabilities of the police, thereby linking the recovery plans to crime prevention and the investigation of crime imperatives.
Linked to the oversight mandate entrusted to the community safety department, the MEC has put measures in place to monitor the implementation of the approach.
This through:
- Regular progress reports at the quarterly review sessions.
- Conduct unannounced station visits.
- Fusing the implementation to the performance contract of the provincial commissioner.
- Paying particular attention to the worst performing police stations.
- Mobilising communities in support of #CrimeMustFall.
