Premier, SACC take hand against crime
The Executive Council of Limpopo, in its meeting last Wednesday, endorsed the proposal that a Community Safety Dialogue should be convened as a matter of urgency.
POLOKWANE – To that effect, the MEC for Transport and Community Safety was directed to convene the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security Cluster and work with South African Council of Churches, Traditional Leaders, Community Policing Forums as well as other organs of civil society to prepare for this provincial dialogue.
The resolution was taken that an open conversation to build peace within and among the people of Limpopo, allowing communities to express themselves on the spate of violent attacks with a view to help find long-lasting solutions, must take place based on a meeting between the Premier, Chupu Mathabatha and the South African Council of Churches in Limpopo. The SACC was led by its Chairperson, Rev Awedzani Nemaukhwe.
The meeting was convened in the wake of the killings of government officials and community leaders in various parts of the province, specifically in Tubatse, Thulamela and Mogalakwena local municipalities.
Key among the issues discussed in this meeting, was the role that could be played by the civil society movement to help government and law enforcement agencies in particular to fight and root out these heinous acts taking place within communities.
The meeting considered it senseless and barbaric that some people would use violence to settle their differences.
Limpopo is generally a peaceful province and the meeting has declared that those behind these killings are enemies of peace who need to be isolated, brought to book and dealt with in terms of the laws of the country, as it cannot be tolerated that a tiny minority of criminals is allowed to traumatise communities that generally embrace peace as a value.
Peace-loving people of the province were called upon to rise-up against perpetrators of these callous acts and voice their dissent. Not anywhere in the civilised world could it be allowed that people serving the public get killed in the manner we saw in the cases involving Piet Pale, Lleka Lekalakala, Thabang Maupa, Timson Tshililo, Ronald Mani, Vaaltyn Kekana and Ralph Kanyane and yet still remain silent, the roleplayers agreed.
It was also agreed that there was a need for constant and consistent interaction between the Provincial Government and organised civil society formations to share and discuss ways and means in terms of which the province could reclaim peace.
The joint meeting between the Premier and the SACC welcomed the efforts made by the National Minister of Police in helping the provincial government to bring an end to the killings.
Whistle-blowers were also encouraged to share information with law enforcement agencies so that the people of Limpopo could lead a life of peace and stability.
“Government alone cannot win the battle against crime. It is a societal problem, and it is therefore important that we unite in action to fight this monster that continues to affect humanity,” Mathabatha said.
“It is our firm belief that these efforts will go a long way towards strengthening the law enforcement agencies in their continued determination and commitment to find and bring to book the perpetrators of these heinous acts. One life lost, is one too many. We cannot afford any further loss of human life.”
