Over 1 000 shacks demolished in Joburg

Public safety in Johannesburg may be stagnating despite billions being spent, believes a city council member.

The city’s Department of Public Safety released its quarterly report for the last three months of 2024 this week.

Public safety in Johannesburg

The city’s public safety mandate is focused on enforcing municipal by-laws and regulations and preventing crime through traffic policing and the work done by the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD).  

Over the three-month period, JMPD stopped more than 64,000 vehicles and 35,000 individuals, resulting in 1,693 arrests.

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The city’s law enforcement body primarily focuses on by-law and traffic enforcement, while assisting the South Africa Police Service (Saps) on law enforcement operations.

Additionally, JMPD removed 2 311 illegal adverts and posters and impounded over 2 700 perishable and non-perishable food items.

While not under the city’s safety portfolio, Saps arrested more than 750 suspects for drug-related crimes in the Johannesburg Central and Sophiatown precincts alone between October and December.

Department finances

Through the department, the city generated R417.6 million through traffic licensing revenue.

This was possible via 110 000 vehicle registrations, 222 000 licensed vehicles, 4 062 deregistered vehicles and 32 000 learner and driver’s licence applications.

Despite this, the public safety department was almost R500 million over budget, having spent R3.64 billion against their budget of R3.18 billion.

GOOD Party’s Matthew Cook dismissed the figures, calling them “fantastical”, urging the city to provide tangible metrics to measure the safety of the city’s residents.

Cook took particular exception to the amounts spent to achieve the results.

“Where did the money go? We see no major improvements in service delivery, no significant investments in crime fighting technology and no real reduction in criminal activity,” Cook said in council.

City by-laws

Removing of illegal structures is another public safety function, with 1 053 informal dwellings removed and 11brick-and-mortar structures demolished in three months.

Highlighting the potential danger of informal settlements, the city recorded 72 fires that damaged at least 512 dwellings.

Stressing the need to provide Johannesburg residents adequate housing, Cook questioned if demolishing over 1 000 shacks was humane.  

“The enforcement of by-laws must not come at the expense of human dignity. We cannot be a city that destroys homes without providing solutions,” Cook said.

Section 79 committee

Chairperson of the Section 79 committee on public safety, ActionSA’s Sarah Wissler said she would like to see greater collaboration between authorities and communities to amplify public safety objectives.

“[We need] dedicated visible policing units, improved intelligence gathering, and regular joint operations to clamp down on crime, illegal firearms, drug trafficking, and gender-based violence,” Wissler told The Citizen.

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A recent Stats SA report showed there had been a rapid increase in homelessness and an increase in informal settlements over the last 10 years.

“Policing in informal settlements remains a major challenge due to the lack of infrastructure, such as proper roads, street lighting, and formal addresses, which hampers both the Saps and JMPD’s ability to respond quickly and effectively to crime,” Wissler said.

Social housing needed

The public safety quarterly report added that core challenges included vehicle shortages and the temporary suspension of a security contract, which had led to an unmanageable escalation in land invasions.

“I also believe that policing must go hand-in-hand with urban development. My message to the Department of Human Settlements is clear: Prioritise the development of well-planned, safe, and dignified social housing projects,” advised Wissler.

“These must include proper lighting, road access, open spaces for policing patrols, and facilities for police presence, such as satellite stations or mobile units, integrated into the design.

“Social housing must not only provide shelter, but also promote security, dignity, and long-term sustainability,” Wissler concluded.

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