SEDIBENG.- The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Gauteng Provincial Government, the Gauteng Department of Community Safety, SAPS, and all municipalities and districts in Gauteng took place at the University of Johannesburg’s Soweto Campus last Tuesday.

The MoU signing was pronounced by Premier Panyaza Lesufi earlier this year during the State of the Province Address (SOPA).

The districts and municipalities include the City of Johannesburg, Tshwane, Ekurhuleni, Sedibeng, Emfuleni, Lesedi, Midvaal, West Rand, Rand West, Mogale City, and Merafong. The signing paves the way for an integrated, province-wide approach to crime prevention, traffic law enforcement, and public safety management.

The provincial government said that the signing also reflects the province’s commitment to integrated governance and safer communities.

“It is also aligned with the Premier’s vision of a crime-free Gauteng, where law enforcement agencies work in unison to reclaim public spaces and restore the rule of law.”

Emfuleni Local Municipality’s (ELM) executive mayor, Sipho Radebe, Public Safety MMC, Ndade Mokoena, and the Municipal Manager (MM), April Ntuli, attended the ceremony. In his address, Lesufi reaffirmed the provincial government’s unwavering stance against crime.

“Wherever a criminal, drug lord, and rapist is, we will unleash all our resources and hunt that individual until we get them.”

He commended all municipalities that have signed the Gauteng Safety MoU, recognising their commitment to removing unnecessary bureaucracy and mobilising every available resource to tackle crime head-on.