No corner of the Gauteng province will be left unpoliced with government determined to intensify its crackdown on criminality.

To this end, the Department of Community Safety’s budget, which was increased from more than R750 million to R2.7 billion over a year, will be increased over the Medium Term Expenditure Framework.

This was announced by Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi who delivered the State of the Province Address on Monday.

‘No corner of our townships, informal settlements, CBDs or hostels will go unpoliced. Our war on crime knows no bounds; it is real and it is uncompromising.

‘Our comprehensive integrated crime prevention plan is anchored on improved access to policing service, improved partnership policing, reduction in identified priority crimes, implementation of E-policing, increasing the human resource capacity and professionalism of law enforcement, deployment of intelligence capacity, improved support and strengthening our fight against gender-based violence,’ Lesufi said.

The Premier sa
id the weekly Okae Molao and Shanela operations were bearing fruit with thousands of arrests made.

‘We are continuously breaking the back of Zama Zamas [illegal miners] in Gauteng. Since the decisive response by the President to our request to address the challenges of illegal mining in derelict mines, there has been a marked decrease in this abhorrent activity in the province.

‘Between April and December 2023, 439 persons were arrested for illicit mining activities. We are dealing decisively with notorious crime syndicates, especially those involving bank robberies, illegal mining, drug and child trafficking and cash-in-transit heists.

‘To date, 79 749 joint operations have been conducted at provincial and district levels in the TISH [townships, informal settlements and hostel] areas. These operations resulted in 9244 arrests and the recovery of 1532 stolen or hijacked vehicles,’ he said.

Under surveillance

Lesufi told the gathering that some 7000 CCTV cameras are now working to monitor crime.

‘As part
of our programme to revitalise our CBDs and rid them of crime, lawlessness and vandalism, we have identified Small Street in Johannesburg, as the first of many that require our immediate intervention.

‘From now on, Small Street will be under 24-hour surveillance with CCTV strategically deployed along the area. We are putting up a permanent deployment of 350 law enforcement officers. When we get it right in Small Street we will surely succeed in other CBDs in the province,’ he said.

Other crime hotspots which are also under surveillance include the George Goch, Jeppe, Denver, MBA hostel, Murray and Roberts, and Rethabile LTA hostels and selected high-risk schools identified by the Department of Education.

Other crime fighting interventions include:

From April 1, Gauteng residents will be able to use an e-Panic button to send an alert for crime or medical challenges.

Also from April 1, new number plates that include a track and trace system will be piloted.

Two new helicopters and drones have been acquire
d that have allowed for the establishment of the Gauteng Air Wing unit.

Strides have been made to establish the Provincial Integrated Command Centre with interim command centres set up to monitor high-crime areas.

Some 34 sexual offence unit cars have been dedicated to respond to gendered-based cases speedily.

Crime Prevention Wardens will be increased from some 7000 to more than 12 000.

‘Whether the criminal world likes it or not, a safer Gauteng shall rise! We are all about less talk and more work,’ Lesufi said.

Source: South African Government News Agency