The Gauteng SAPS launched its provincial Safer Festive Season Operation at the Tsakani Stadium, marking the start of the province’s safety campaign for the upcoming holidays, on Friday.

Ekurhuleni Mayor Nkosindiphile Xhakaza said the metro is committed to strengthening law enforcement and emergency response efforts throughout the festive period.

“The CoE will work tirelessly to strengthen its law enforcement and emergency response capabilities during this festive season. We made commitments to our people and are making strides to invest in the necessary resources to achieve those goals.

“We must embrace this campaign, and we do so with unity and determination. This campaign is not a short- term intervention but part of long-term efforts to build a safer, more resilient community in Gauteng,” said Ekurhuleni Mayor Nkosindiphile Xhakaza as he welcomed Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi.

Xhakaza added that the city had procured 60 new vehicles, including fifty VW Polos, for the EMPD to enhance visibility and patrol capacity.

“We are advancing with implementing the whole government approach as approved by cabinet in 2022, with the Integrated Crime and Violence Prevention Strategy (ICVPS).

“This campaign marks the nationwide mobilisation of all law enforcement resources and those made available by our stakeholders to maximise visibility of the ground.

“We are working together to keep SA and Gauteng safe and secure during the busy holiday period,” said provincial police commissioner Lieutenant General Tommy Mthombeni.

The ICVPS provides a framework for a comprehensive, holistic and integrated approach to community safety, promoting collaboration between State and non-State actors across all three spheres of government. It also encourages partnerships with communities and civil society to strengthen crime prevention.

TJ Malesela from the SA CPR urged law enforcement officers not to collaborate with criminals and become part of the problem.

“We see many you getting arrested, and this overflows into the community patrollers. It can’t be right that those meant to uphold the law and combat crime are part of these demonic actions. You will not win the fight against crime while you embrace corrupt elements,” he said.

The SAPS has partnered with the National Liquor Traders Council (NLTC), Business Against Crime SA and the Consumer Goods Council of SA to deter criminal activity.

Lesufi’s address applauded the province’s law enforcement for the decline of traffic casualties during last year’s festival system.

“This confirms that we need to continue with our work to have even more death reductions on our roads. In the last quarter, when the provincial commissioner released the statistics of crime in our province, we were proud to see that there was a reduction in the major crimes, and an overall reduction of almost 7%,” said Lesufi.

The premier said that the strategies and hard work on the ground are starting to yield positive results.