The Inkatha Freedom Party has called on the South African Police Service to intensify its efforts to fight serious crime.
|||Durban – The Inkatha Freedom Party has called on the South African Police Service (SAPS) to intensify its efforts to fight serious crime.
The IFP commended the SAPS for their efforts in keeping law and order during the latest crime statistics release period of April 1, 2015 to March 31, 2016, IFP spokesperson Albert Mncwango said.
“While we commend the SAPS with their reductions in certain areas of crime, most notably sex crimes which have been reduced by 3.2 percent nationally, we are still extremely concerned over the slow creep and increase in statistics of other contact crimes, namely murder, attempted murder, and armed robbery.
“With the murder rate now at a national level of 33 murders per 100,000 people, and the province of KwaZulu-Natal at 36 murders per 100 000, the increase evidences a creeping lawlessness which is evolving in our society and that is most worrisome,” he said.
“The positive results in the general fight against crime is in our view, a direct result of now having a career policeman acting commissioner Lt-Gen Kgomotso Phahlane at the helm of the SAPS, as this portfolio cannot be effectively managed by anyone other than a career policeman or woman.”
The IFP agreed that to provide a safe and secure environment for all, the SAPS had to begin by getting the basics right, as these were fundamental to successful crime prevention. Thus, the IFP supported the back-to-basics strategy currently adopted by the SAPS. The SAPS had to be adequately resourced, both in terms of logistical capacity and skills, and had to ensure the highest levels of training among its recruits.
“Successful crime prevention entails a multi-pronged approach and is dependent on partnership policing, greater awareness of crime by the public, greater accessibility of the public to the police, increased visible policing, and intelligence driven police operations.
“The fight against crime in South Africa is a fight that all South Africans can assist with. Society must work together with the police. Crime must not be allowed fertile ground in this country. If a member of the public suspects or witnesses criminal activity they should report it immediately to the nearest police station for further investigation,” Mncwango said.
African News Agency