KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Transport, Community Safety & Liaison Mr Mxolisi Kaunda has vowed to strengthen the partnership between police and the community to ensure that crime is reduced drastically in the province.
Kaunda was reacting to crime statistics released by Minister of Police Bheki Cele, which indicated an increase in all forms of crime in the country, with an average of 57 people murdered every day.
KZN is one of the provinces that reported a high rate of murders during the 2017/18 financial year.
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Other forms of crime that increased sharply include cash-in-transit heists, violence against women and children, and stock theft. Firearms have been identified as the most common weapon used to commit crimes.
Kaunda has committed the provincial government to work closely with the Minister to collectively deal with the scourge of crime. “These crime statistics are a call to all of us that we must declare a war on crime wherever we are.
“We must spare no effort in ensuring that our community crime-fighting structures, which include the Community Policing Forum and KwaZulu-Natal Community Crime Prevention Association (KZNCCPA), are supported and fully functional,” said Kaunda.
He added that while government intensifies the fight against crime, it will also continue to attend to socio-economic challenges such as poverty and unemployment that affect various communities.
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