The Premier of KwaZulu-Natal, Mr Sibusiso Ndebele at the United Nations Crime Summit

Let me give you an example. If people stop buying stolen property, why would anyone take the risk of committing robbery? Implicit in this statement is the observation that communities can play a significant role in reducing certain types of crimes.

Robbery is a contact crime. And there can be no doubt people are most afraid of offences that relate to contact crime. Even if we put in place 20 policemen to protect every hundred citizens it would be unrealistic for South Africans to expect the police to reduce these types of crime. A long-term solution lies in dealing with the attitudes and behaviour of people by applying crime prevention measures at early stages of development.

Safer city, safer communities

Countering high levels of criminality in South Africa has become a central focus of government policy.

The focus on cities and towns as the key to crime prevention is directly in line with international developments in the area of crime prevention. Since the vast majority of recorded criminal activities take place within cities, towns and urban areas in general, this focus is a logical one. Urban local government is often well placed to implement or at least co-ordinate initiatives to counter and prevent criminality. Greater co-ordination between different local government departmental functions is a critical success factor in achieving and sustaining urban safety and security.

There are real incentives for municipal authorities to ensure a safe locality: revenues are increased through, among other factors, the provision of a safe environment, and actively encouraging investment by business. Also, there is an important political: many local politicians are under increasing public pressure to be seen to be acting against crime. Developing and implementing local crime prevention policy will ensure that ward councillors respond to the needs of their constituents.

Crime varies from locality to locality and requires different solutions to reduce it. While national government can provide frameworks for encouraging and supporting crime prevention, implementation by its nature must take place at local level. At community level, at the level where young people like yourselves can find your unique answers.

2010 and Youth

As we forge forward towards the 2010 Soccer World Cup, it is important to ensure that our own country, South Africa, our provinces, as well as our cities are crime free zones in which we can proudly welcome and host citizens of the world, who would have come for the love of soccer, and possibly invest here.

It is thus befitting that a meeting of this nature takes place now so that when we get to 2010 we would have covered our basis in terms of ensuring that South Africa is a safe and secure place for all who live, do business, visit and invest in it.

We are also all out to make sure that the abundant sporting talent in South Africa is used both as an income-generating tool as well as an intervention to get the youth off the streets and encourage campaigns that are saying no to alcohol and drug abuse by the youth. We must as a country find a place for the youth in our FIFA 2010 World Cup programme and ensure that the opportunities associated with such an event are real and accessible.

The youth are among the major players in the comprehensive strategy to take maximum advantage of economic opportunities offered by SWC in areas of construction, tourism, services and hospitality industries, transport and logistics, Information Communication Technology (ICT), and others. It is expected to generate 150 000 jobs. 754 days separate us from the kick-off of the 2010 Soccer World Cup very little time indeed. This means our youth should have started positioning themselves to assist our country and the continent to host one of the best Soccer World Cup tournaments ever seen.

Our youth should continue engaging the various role-players on the opportunities arising from this festival of young sports people, many of whom would be coming to Africa for the first time. A mere 754 days are left and I call on the youth of South Africa to position themselves to assist the country to deliver the best 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa. You should engage various role players on opportunities arising from 2010 world spectacle. This government is committed to the development of young people.

Youth challenges

It is crucial to use platforms such as these to shut down the road to destruction that our young people are embarking upon with the scourge of crime, drugs, alcohol and sex abuses.

Under the new world order driven by fast paced technological advancements, the youth face new challenges. It is true that addressing challenges facing youth today cannot be limited to one month in a year, but must be part of an ongoing co-ordinated and integrated youth development programme supported by initiatives of government, civil society, the private sector, faith based organisations and other structures in our communities.

Another important aspect of this summit that should not be left unattended is the part about how local governments can best integrate whatever developmental plans they draw with safety plans. This is vital in today’s fast changing world, so that we don’t build cities and towns that will end up being breeding grounds for criminal behaviour.

Although we admit that our young people are getting more and more involved in criminal incidents, either as victims or perpetrators, we do however acknowledge that solutions from these challenges will not come from government alone but from young people themselves as they have a better perspective on what it is they need or can do to build a popular front against crime.

As governments of the world, we now understand that the fight against crime cannot be won by the police or government alone. By involving our communities and young people in projects such as the Volunteer Social Crime Prevention Project, adopted by the Department of Community Safety and Liaison that was adopted from a module that produced results in the Greater Manchester area as well as the Western Cape, here in South Africa, and subsequently introduced in this Province of KwaZulu-Natal; government is saying "help us to help you".

Peace and Development

Understanding the socio-political dynamics of the past in South Africa, the government feels it has a duty to create conditions that will make it possible for the youth to participate meaningfully in the economy of the country.

The peace that we have today is a prerequisite for development in South Africa. We, as government, do not believe that the youth should bear the baggage of the past. We believe that the youth has a chance to start on a clean slate. We commit ourselves to creating the necessary conditions to ensure that the youth of South Africa and of the world fulfils its potential.

We call on all our people, especially the youth to use the memory of Inkosi Albert Luthuli, who was a great leader to be part of a "Popular Front against Crime." We also call on members of the community not to aid and abet crime by buying stolen goods.

With those words in mind, I would like to conclude by saying; the empowerment of the youth resides with the youth themselves. Let the youth be in forward trenches of bringing about a better life for all of our people. Governments of the world are listening; let your creativity flow with the aim of guiding us as policy makers towards the correct direction, so that together we can make your lives better.

The youth as leaders of the future, must do everything to assist in the building of social cohesion, building the Soul of the Universe and leading the Moral Regeneration campaign. This will see them lead our struggle for the birth of a new citizen world that has respect for self, is patriotic towards country and has a spiritual centre that guides their life through the universe.

We are very much hopeful as the government of South Africa that this summit will open chapters that have never been resolutions that will be taken will be implemented for the world to have a youth that believes in peace and prosperity.

I thank you!

Issued by: Office of the Premier, KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government
18 June 2008

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