Launch of the uMgungundlovu District Multi-Stakeholder Anti-Crime Council, Caluza Community Hall, Msunduzi Local Municipality,
Programme Director, Cllr N. Gabela, Speaker of uMgungundlovu District Municipality
Mayor of Msunduzi Local Municipality, Cllr M. Thebolla;
Executive Mayor of uMgungundlovu District Municipality, Cllr M. Zuma;
KZN MEC for Health, Ms Nomagugu Simelane;
Other members of the Provincial Executive Council who are here today;
Mpumuza Traditional Authority, iNkosi Khethokuhle Zondi and other Traditional Leaders present;
Representatives from Provincial House of Traditional and Khoisan Leaders.
Provincial Head and Senior Managers of Departments that form part of the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security Cluster;
District Safety Portfolio Officials;
Representatives from Community Safety Structures;
Representatives from Private Security Industry;
The community of UMgungundlovu;
Sanibonani!
It is an honour and a privilege to stand before you on behalf of the Deputy President to deliver the message from the Presidency to this important gathering.
I would like to extend the Deputy President’s sincere apologies for his absence and his well wishes for the important work that this initiative seeks to launch today.
We congregate here today for the launch of the uMgungundlovu District Multi-Stakeholder Anti-Crime Council.
This initiative is a great advancement in our shared commitment to strengthening safer and more secure communities.
It is fitting that today we are here in uMgungundlovu, a district that has a special place in the history of our nation.
These are lands that resonate with the footsteps of great leaders and the reverberations of defining moments that have guided the course of our nation’s journey.
From the leadership of King Cetshwayo to the many generations who have called this district home, uMgungundlovu has long stood as a symbol of resilience, courage, and unity.
Throughout its long history, this district has been a gathering place for people, ideas and hopes, bringing communities together in times of hardship and triumph.
It has witnessed struggles for justice, the search for dignity, and efforts to promote freedom and democracy.
We are united today by that same spirit of unity and collective action which met the challenges of past generations.
But the urgent challenge that we are called to confront today is the scourge of crime and violence.
We honour that legacy by partnering with government, law enforcement, civil society, business, and communities to combat crime and build safer spaces for everyone.
It is in this spirit of partnership and collective responsibility that I am reminded of the words of former President Nelson Mandela, spoken in 1999 at the launch of the Crime Prevention Campaign in Johannesburg.
President Mandela warned us not to perceive crime simply as a challenge for law enforcement.
He emphasised that although we cannot persist in attributing all our challenges to the past, it is important to acknowledge the profound origins of crime in the injustices of apartheid, which have resulted in poverty, social dislocation, and the erosion of moral and institutional foundations.
During that address, President Mandela concluded with a strong call to action, declaring that our battle against the rising tide of crime must be “a many-sided one", requiring “the active participation of every corner of society".
More than two decades later, those words remain as relevant as ever.
The uMgungundlovu District Multi-Stakeholder Anti-Crime Council launched during Mandela Month serves as a tangible expression of that call and a vision.
It recognises that the responsibility for creating safer communities cannot lie solely with the police or Government.
It requires the active involvement of business, faith-based organisations, traditional leaders, civil society, community structures, young people, and every citizen who believes in a safer and more prosperous South Africa.
Nonetheless, crime remains a significant burden for South Africa, despite some positive developments in certain categories.
Many citizens live in fear of various crimes such as violence, robbery, gender-based violence, and substance abuse, which collectively compromise community wellbeing.
Areas like Pietermaritzburg exemplify these ongoing safety challenges, necessitating urgent and coordinated responses from authorities and communities alike.
According to the 2026 Numbeo Crime Index, Pietermaritzburg ranks as the world’s most dangerous city with a crime index of 82.8 and a safety index of 17.2.
The latest crime statistics released by the South African Police Service show that while the overall murder cases dropped to 5,181 between January and March 2026, KZN remains a key contributor to the country’s highest levels of contact crime.
Among the challenges confronting South Africa are organised criminal networks, cross-border crimes, human trafficking, illicit trade, and the unlawful entry and stay of undocumented migrants.
While other migrants are law-abiding and contribute positively to society, we cannot ignore the fact that criminal elements often exploit weak border controls and immigration systems for unlawful activities.
Government remains committed to strengthening border management, improving law enforcement coordination, and ensuring that immigration laws are applied fairly, consistently and in accordance with the Constitution and the rule of law.
Our fight is not against migrants, but against criminality in all its forms.
We must work together to secure our borders, protect vulnerable communities, combat organised crime, and uphold the safety and security of everyone living in South Africa.
As we confront crime, we must never be oblivious of the factors that often fuel it.
By "these factors," I refer to factors such as unemployment, inequality, substance abuse, family disintegration, and a lack of opportunities, particularly for young people.
Addressing these underlying drivers of crime requires a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach, exactly as envisioned in the Integrated Crime and Violence Prevention Strategy and other national policy frameworks.
It is for this reason that the establishment of the uMgungundlovu District Multi-Stakeholder Anti-Crime Council is necessary.
The Council establishes a permanent platform for coordinated crime prevention among government, traditional leaders, businesses, labour, faith-based organisations, community safety structures, youth formations, civil society, private security, and citizens.
I am pleased that this Council will not duplicate existing efforts.
Rather, it aims to improve coordination, accountability, resource mobilisation, and community participation and ensure that all stakeholders contribute to addressing the underlying causes of crime and violence.
We therefore commend the executive mayor, the district municipality, the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Community Safety and Liaison, and all stakeholders for their foresight in establishing this council.
In doing so, they are giving practical effect to the principle that community safety is a shared responsibility and that lasting solutions can only be achieved through partnership, cooperation, and active citizen participation.
I must highlight that Government’s comprehensive approach to fighting crime is guided by the Integrated Crime and Violence Prevention Strategy (ICVPS) and the National Crime Prevention Strategy (NCPS).
Together, they shift the focus from reactive policing to a holistic "whole-of-government and society" model based on six core pillars.
These are:
· An effective criminal justice system;
· Early interventions in preventing crime;
· Victim support interventions;
· Effective and integrated service delivery;
· Safety through environmental design; and
· Active public and community participation.
We are targeting not only those who carry out criminal acts, but also the syndicate leaders, financiers and enablers who profit from crime.
Through enhanced cooperation between government, law-enforcement agencies, businesses, communities, and international partners, we are determined to dismantle organised criminal networks.
We are determined to secure our borders, protect critical infrastructure, and ensure that criminals have no safe haven in our country.
The fight against organised crime is a fight to protect our democracy, strengthen our economy, and safeguard the future of all South Africans.
We are aware that one of the best ways to fight crime is to provide jobs and opportunities for our people, especially our youth.
Through programmes such as the Presidential Youth Employment Intervention, Public Employment Services, the Expanded Public Works Programme and the Social Employment Fund, government is assisting young people to gain work experience, access employment opportunities and earn an income.
At the same time, we are working closely with the private sector to attract investment, grow the economy, and create sustainable jobs.
Recent investments, such as the acquisition of the Chery International Factory in Tshwane, demonstrate how investment can protect existing jobs while also creating thousands of new opportunities for South Africans.
The government is also expanding skills development through TVET colleges, artisan training programmes and the SAYouth.mobi platform that links young people to training, learnerships and job opportunities.
By creating jobs, developing skills, and expanding economic opportunity, we are not only growing the economy, but we are also tackling some of the root causes of crime and building stronger, safer communities.
We all have a responsibility to rid our communities of crime and violence.
We cannot remain passive while crime erodes our people’s dignity, safety, and peace of mind.
Everyone in South Africa is entitled to live, work, learn and thrive without fear.
The task before us today is to ensure that every resident of uMgungundlovu enjoys that freedom.
The launch of this Council is a crucial step towards that goal.
Let us support our law-enforcement agencies, address the social conditions that fuel crime, and create greater opportunities for our young people.
Let us build stronger families, vibrant communities and a society that abjures criminality and embraces shared values of respect, responsibility, and social cohesion.
I call upon you, members of this Council, to serve with integrity, dedication, and purpose.
You will not be judged on the number of meetings you convene but on the difference you create in the lives of the people of uMgungundlovu.
We can demonstrate together that crime is not an inherent part of our society.
As we celebrate Mandela Month, let us not forget President Nelson Mandela’s timeless message that safety and security is everyone’s responsibility.
The success of this Council will be measured by our readiness to work together, to confront challenges and to remain resolute in our commitment to a better South Africa.
On behalf of the Government of the Republic of South Africa, I wish to congratulate all stakeholders involved in the establishment of the uMgungundlovu District Multi-Stakeholder Anti-Crime Council.
Let this effort be a light of hope and a model for districts throughout our country.
Together we can build safer, more resilient, and more prosperous communities.
Thank you, Ngiyabonga!
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