A VIEW OF THE WEEK: Forget the promises and push the panic button on crime

Premier Panyaza Lesufi took to the podium this week, admitting to something Gauteng residents have struggled with for almost their entire lives.

“The level of crime in our province keeps me awake at night. There are many people who are playing God with people’s lives,” he said, confessing that his government was not doing enough.

Lesufi has thrown programme after programme and speech after speech at the problem, hiring crime wardens, ordering drones, and pushing the implementation of panic buttons.

Still, the latest crime stats show Gauteng remains Crime Central.

Murders and rape are among the crimes on the rise and Hawks head Lieutenant-General Godfrey Lebeya has described the province as a hunting ground for criminals and serious crimes.

Crime: Part of daily life in Gauteng

As he was preparing his speech, a man shot three alleged hijackers in an attack on N1 and two, including a bystander, were shot in a reported taxi industry power struggle shootout in Alex.

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These were just two of the numerous crimes that are committed in the province every day, and show the state of lawlessness in Gauteng and beyond.

An analyst has warned that the situation is likely to get worse with the approaching festive season.

Rural criminologist Dr Witness Maluleke added the scourge has grown because of limited proactive and reactive actions by police.

Who is watching the police?

We should add to this a lack of oversight of crime prevention efforts.

Lesufi has done more than many others before him in tackling crime head-on, making it one of his priorities and spreading awareness.

But in a government that has itself admitted to being riddled with incompetent and lethargic officials, even the most well-meaning programme will likely go unimplemented.

Crime wardens loiter on the street corner or at tuckshops. Like their police counterparts, wardens with vehicles reportedly take them on joyrides or use them for personal trips.

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They may be visible but they are quickly losing their bite and authority. There is little supervision or accountability, leaving officials to often do what they like without being questioned.

Cops turned criminals

A Civilian Secretariat for Police Service (CSPS) non-compliance report released on Wednesday found 59 police officers across four provinces, including Gauteng, were reported for non-compliance with the Domestic Violence Act.

Add this to the dozens of reports of police being arrested for breaking the law themselves and you start to see why public trust in crime fighters has deteriorated.

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The more officers are seen in compromising situations, the more the public will believe they are forgotten by those in power and take matters into their own hands.

In such a descent to chaos potentially rogue private security shoot without authority or provocation, citizens take on their attackers, and politicians admit they are losing the war against crime.

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