Premier Nomvula Mokonyane took to the streets of Mamelodi on Wednesday to raise awareness about crime and drug abuse in the area.
Mokonyane assisted police in a road block in Tsamaya Street to hand out pamphlets to motorists and the public encouraging them to partner with the police and government in the fight against crime.
Quoting the crime statistics released early last month, Mokonyane said Mamelodi was highly affected by crime.
“The crime statistics singled out Mamelodi as the most dangerous township in South Africa,” Mokonyane told the media during the road block.
She said Mamelodi was also cited as the home of criminals.
“We were told that one or two of the criminals that commit crime elsewhere in the country live in Mamelodi. Mamelodi has been branded as a “cool-off” place,” said Mokonyane.
She said the provincial government was concerned that out of the 2.4 million cases reported in South Africa, 1.1 million of these are reported in Gauteng.
“In other words we account for 50 percent of the crime in South Africa and that cannot be good,” said the Premier.
She further urged the community to report drug dealers that sell drugs to school children. She heard from the community members that a drug called “Nyaope” was very rife in the area.
“There is no way that the community does not know who these people are. Let us partner to make Mamelodi a safer place especially for our children,” she said.
During the roadblock the Premier witnessed with shock a small car that is designed to carry five passengers transporting 10 children from school. The driver was fined and an alternative transport was arranged to ferry children to their home.
The children told Mokonyane that the car was their “school bus” and their parents pay R200 a month.
Issued by: Office of the Premier, Gauteng Provincial Government
22 October 2009
Source: Office of the Premier, Gauteng Provincial Government (http://www.gautengonline.gov.za)
