Ladies and gentlemen of the media, I wish to thank you for your presence in today’s media briefing. This is an indication of a good working relationship between the provincial government and your different media houses.
On behalf of the KwaZulu-Natal provincial government, I as MEC for Transport, Community Safety and Liaison wish to convey my deepest condolences to families, whose loved ones have perished on our roads since the 1st of December 2009 to 13 January, 2010. I also wish all those who have sustained injuries a speedy recovery. We also send our deepest condolences and sympathies to all victims of violent crime during this reporting period. As all figures will show, the RTI, local traffic authorities and South African Police Service (SAPS) worked hard with diligence and zeal.
On behalf of the citizens of this province, I want to thank all the members. Your dedication to serve our people resulted in most citizens of this province and our visitors having a wonderful experience over the time they spent here and, criminals having a hard time.
Programme Director, our 2009/10 summer holiday road safety plan was centred primarily on what we termed: “An Area Wide, Aggressive Road Enforcement (AWARE)”. We said at a time and I want to repeat: “Alufakwa KwaZulu-Natal Lubuya Nesaphula-mthetho”. As part of aggressive law enforcement, all traffic officers in the province were on active duty, to police our entire road network. Our RTI officers worked a total of 221 223 and covered close to a million kilometres (or 942 148 to be exact). The AWARE action was implemented over this period with special focus on:
* drinking and driving
* speed enforcement
* seat belt enforcement
* moving violations
* public passenger transportation
* pedestrian enforcement
As part of a coordinated approach to fighting crime on and off the road, RTI worked in several roadblocks with the SAPS and other state organs. In all the law enforcement endeavours, they were also joined and helped by volunteers attached to our Volunteer Social Crime Prevention project
SAPS report-back
A comprehensive plan was developed to deal with all types of scenarios from crowd management to threats against life and property. As businesses shut down policing was also intensified to prevent workers from being robbed of their hard earned bonuses. Patrols around banks and other financial institutions were intensified due to the increased movement of cash to pay salaries, bonuses and stokvels.
All tourist hotspots were bolstered with extra security presence. Our focus on shopping centres also limited the opportunities for criminal activities. Durban’s Golden Mile was a hive of activity as usual but the additional police presence and uncompromising security measures ensured the safety of beachgoers. Police observed a zero tolerance approach to drinking in public, loud music and other forms of unacceptable behaviour and as a result people behaved.
Extra policing in the form of reservists as well as office staff assisted in the policing of our crime hotspots. In total the South African Police Service deployed just over 18 000 men and women. It is no exaggeration to say these men and women made life tough for criminals, and will continue to do so. During the reporting period the men and women in blue made a staggering 49 257 arrests. These arrests include:
Murder: 955
Attempted murder: 530
Aggravating robbery: 1 324
Car or truck hijacking and attempt: 235
House robbery and attempt: 497
Business robbery and attempt: 92
Public violence: 42
Rape: 1 222
Attempted rape: 80
Sexual assault: 123
Common robbery and attempt: 1 218
Assault GBH: 6 445
Assault Common: 3 840
Burglaries business or home and attempt: 1 275
Stock theft: 330
Theft of motor vehicle and attempt: 348
Theft from or out of motor vehicle and attempt: 225
All other categories of theft and attempt: 2 758
Damage to property: 1 300
Fraud: 377
Drug related crimes: 4 595
Driving under the influence: 2 173
Illegal possession of firearms: 711
Possession of stolen property: 918
Motor vehicles recovered: 1 280
Firearms confiscated: 1 814
Ammunition confiscated: 9 777
Knives confiscated: 1 403
The police also recovered 1 283 stolen vehicles. A total of 11 898 illegal weapons were confiscated. This excludes 167 that were confiscated as a result of the current firearms amnesty while 1 606 were handed in voluntarily. I also need to mention that large quantities of drugs, stolen property and liquor were seized during various operations. It is these figures that give us hope for a better future as so eloquently captured by the Honourable Premier Dr Zweli Mkhize in his state of the province address.
RTI report-back
Programme director, earlier I said our 2009/10 summer holiday road safety plan was centred primarily on what we termed, An Area Wide, Aggressive Road Enforcement (AWARE). Our motto that says Alufakwa KwaZulu-Natal Lubuya Nesaphula-mthetho bore desired fruits. During the reporting period, a total of 314 506 vehicles were stopped in various roadblocks throughout the province. Over 59 261 charges were preferred to izephulamthetho, law breakers excluding manual camera prosecutions. A total of 10 649 charges were recorded for exceeding the desired speed limit. 937 motorists were caught for drink driving. At least 72 speeders were caught and arrested. Some 4640 motorists were caught driving without a valid driver‘s license.
Sadly, the province had 231 fatal crashes. In the process some 298 people lost their lives. Of these, 51 were drivers, 109 passengers, and 138 pedestrians.
In our analysis as you have seen in the presentation these accidents are a direct result of driver error and pedestrians crossing or walking in undesignated areas. In this regard, we enjoin our people to obey the basic rules of the road. As government we will intensify both enforcement and road safety education.
Building a united front against crime
In conclusion, programme director, and as a way to underscore the point I am about to introduce, another element that contributed to the success over the festive season was ordinary citizens and our social crime prevention volunteers. Ordinary citizens gave our law enforcement agencies various tip offs that led to either the prevention of crime or arrests. Our volunteers were deployed in the Central Durban, Durban beaches, shopping malls, and at the various banks and automated teller machines (ATMs). During the week between Christmas and New Year there was an incident at the KwaMashu shopping centre. As a result of the direct intervention of volunteers deployed in the mall the suspect was apprehended by police in record time. I am telling this story because it shows an element of unity in a fight against crime.
As a way of looking ahead ladies and gentlemen, the provincial government of KwaZulu-Natal wants to harness all these individual efforts, and BUILD A UNITED FRONT AGAINST CRIME. As government we have seen and heard challenges of crime on and off the roads. The community also realises that the police cannot be everywhere and cannot win the war alone.
Therefore, there is no more room to lament. This government will on 21 January this week formally inaugurate a crime fighting plan dubbed BUILD A UNITED FRONT AGAINST CRIME. To kick start this initiative, we will host a symposium. It will be held at the Elangeni Hotel. All members of the media, law enforcements agencies, community organisations, business, civil society, anti-crime activists, and crime researchers have been invited.
The time for lamenting is over. Taking responsibility and making a conscious decision to be part of the war against crime is exactly what is needed now. Working together with government, everyone has a role to play. So the question is “hat role can each individual, organisation or structure play in building a united front against crime?”
This is the question which will be answered at the symposium through our collective wisdom. The outcome of the symposium will be a coherent crime fighting strategy for KwaZulu-Natal.
I thank you!!
Issued by: Department of Community Safety and Liaison, KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government
19 January 2010
