ANC calls on communities to help fight crime

Following the disturbing crime stats delivered earlier today by Police Minister Bheki Cele, the ANC has called on South African communities to aid in the fight against crime.

In a recent statement released by the party, they have noted with great concern the increase in murders and the continued prevalence of rape, sexual assault and gender-based violence.

“We must therefore implement alternative policing measures where sexual assault cases are concerned. In this regard, we welcome the minister’s undertaking to establish a separate unit to deal with such cases,” stated ANC chief whip, Jackson Mthembu.

ALSO READ: South Africans call for return of the death penalty

The party says they welcome a number of the interventions suggested by the minister, including his commitment to increase the training of new police officers to address the challenge of increased population volumes in key provinces.

“Our fight against crime requires action by all South Africans. The role of communities in crime-fighting cannot be over-emphasized because stolen and hijacked goods are often traded in our communities. As communities, we must ensure that crimes are reported and that necessary assistance is provided in order for SAPS to carry out their work,” read the statement.

The party noted the decrease in certain crimes, including common robbery, assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm and robbery with aggravating circumstances, to name a few.

“The crime statistics also show that our police service remains alert in the detection of crime. Crime detected as a result of police action increased by 11.3%. We commend the men and women in blue for these positive strides they have made in ensuring they push back the frontiers of crime in this regard,” stated the party.

The DA has also commented on the stats, calling them “a [devastating] reminder of how the ANC government is losing the battle to keep South Africans safe.”

The opposition went on to highlight how the ANC spends an average of R9.1-million to protect one VIP but only R1 500 per South African resident, and how this “reveals that their skewed priorities are crippling the fight against the unacceptably high levels of crime in the country.”

The EFF has yet to comment on the latest crime stats.

For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.