Cops and locals will put all their hope on the province’s first-ever ballistic science workshop and chemistry unit, which will be based right here in town.

This means that stolen and confiscated firearms and those suspected to have been used in criminal activities will no longer be taken to Pretoria. The unit will also be able to conduct DNA test analysis, to ensure speedy processing of criminal cases that need scientific evidence in court.

In a recent policy and budget speech, community safety, security and liaison MEC, Mr Pat Ngomane said the refurbishments to the identified building will commence this month. “The SAPS in the province will ensure that there is the capacity for effective detection and arrest of criminals involved in serious crimes, such as cash-in-transit robberies and trio crimes.

Recently, the SAPS have arrested four men including a 32-year-old officer for colluding with criminals. We applaud a police for a job well done,” he said. He added that SAPS provincial commissioner, Lt Gen Mondli Zuma has identified 30 police stations that have the highest crime rate in the province. He said these stations will be supported and monitored to enhance service delivery. “This is done through the monitoring and evaluation unit of the department, where the best-performing police stations are awarded in an annual event called MEC’s Excellence Awards to encourage good performance and assist those which are not performing well.

“We also welcome the establishment of sexual offences courts in the province, which we believe will make the work of our officers easier, as more cases would be concluded timeously. We will continue as a department to conduct campaigns and programmes aimed at educating women and children about their rights,” said Ngomane. He added that the department has implemented a 365-day campaign against women and children abuse.

“Through this initiative, the department, with its stakeholders, believe that the recent kidnappings and killings of women in the country will be put to an end. “We believe that most crimes, including the escalating number of road crashes, are caused by the usage of drugs and alcohol in the province. A steering committee has been established, constituting of the department, Mpumalanga Liquor Authority and SAPS, and ongoing measures have been put in place to ensure that owners of liquor outlets comply with all relevant legal prescripts.

“As we have identified the need to change the behaviour of motorists in order to win the fight against accidents, we will continue to educate them about the importance of road safety,” Ngomane said. He announced that during this financial year, the department is intending to procure more moving violation recorders. They will be fitted into law-enforcement vehicles and this is expected to curb moving violations such as barrier-line overtaking and speeding.