Mayor of eThekwini, Cllr James Nxumalo;
South African Police Service (SAPS) KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Ngobeni;
Cluster Community Police Forum (CPF) Chairperson, Mr L Gumede;
Chairperson for Safety and Security Committee, Cllr Z. Gumede;
Project leaders and members of the Yithi Abazali campaign;
Representatives from KZN Provincial Government present;
Representatives from Business Against Crime SA present;
Representatives from CPFs present;
Representatives from Interfaith organisations present;
Representatives from NGOs present;
Distinguished guests;
Members of the media;
Ladies and gentlemen;
Malibongwe! Igama lamakhosikazi!
We want to begin to paying tribute to all the women present here, irrespective of political, social or religious affiliation: a safe and secure Women’s Month.
We are pleased to address this important occasion wherein we are not just paying a lip-service to the slogan “wathint’ abafazi, wathint’ imbhokodo” but focusing on the eradication of women and child abuse, which is central to the fight against crime.
The launch of Yithi Abazali campaign, here in Umlazi a township which for many years suffered a negative connotation as one of the most dangerous in South Africa, is befitting.
We are particularly pleased to learn that this is a brainchild of the Umlazi Police Forum. In its initial stages, the campaign will focus on mobilising women to play a greater role in their children’s lives as well as contribute towards crime reduction efforts in Umlazi.
The fact that women will be encouraged to intensify their efforts in ensuring good upbringing of children is commendable. We are also glad to learn that the campaign will also mobilise support to empower parents with various skills to help them guide the children better. We remain confident that this campaign will succeed but emphasise that its success in dependent upon all of us working together.
We are also pleased to learn that to achieve these objectives, women, led by the African National Congress (ANC) Women’s League, will mobilise women from other political parties, faith-based organisations, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), interfaith formations and all other stakeholders. To us, Yithi Abazali’s objectives represent what we have been calling for in the fight against crime: partnerships.
The campaign’s key focus areas are on substance abuse, assisting rape survivors, eliminating and reducing teenage pregnancy, programmes for school leavers, assist unemployed youth to find work, provide entrepreneurial skills as well as youth who have had contact with the law.
We understand that the fight against crime requires an integrated approach which includes addressing decent values. The fact that this project, the Yithi Abazali is spearheaded by women is indeed an affirmation of parents and women who do not sit idle and blame government. Instead of becoming arm-chair critics, you took a bold step of teaching values of caring, sharing; promoting upright and moral children. Because after all, these are your sons and daughters.
If children from an early age are taught the values articulated by parents’ leadership and guidance, the likelihood of them growing up to be responsible and caring adults is that much greater. Therefore as government, partnering with Yithi Abazali project, we will spearhead our goals of combating crime.
The challenges in the fight against crime are still enormous because for as long as those women in Umlazi cannot walk freely without fear of being raped, for as long as our youth are still in bondage of drugs, for as long as residents are still being hijacked – none of us must rest. For as long as our police officers are attacked and killed by merciless criminals, none of us must rest. And therefore, in Yithi Abazali we believe we have a new partner in helping us reduce crime in Umlazi.
This morning’s launch perfectly coincides with our approach of strengthening key partnerships with various sectors. As a ministry, we recently established a specialised unit located within the Secretariat for Police to focus on partnerships. Through this unit we want to ensure continuous engagement with different stakeholders aimed at building and sustaining these relations going forward.
In the past two years, we have interacted with almost all the sectors: religious, business, community, NGOs, including all political parties in Parliament. Some of the current strategies that we are implementing in the fight against crime were derived from such engagements.
There are several lessons we, as government have learnt in dealing with the scourge of crime in South Africa. To a large degree, crime in our country has a uniquely random and violent character. A greater proportion of crimes such as rapes, usually take place among acquaintances, particularly in poor communities where living conditions challenge a decent family and social life.
As a result of this close-knit family sentiment, a challenge that is often faced by police is that such families do not report the abuses to police. However in cases where these silos have been broken and reported, we tended to see more convictions.
Our message is clear to those men who abuse women, not only because this is Women’s Month but beyond: we will intensify our focus on such scoundrels. Any abusive so-called ‘man’ deserves to rot in jail for being a coward and rape vulnerable and helpless women. I have accordingly instructed police to ensure they must have no mercy on such cowards.
While such victims can approach interfaith organisations, support groups and social workers, it is also fundamentally important that such support groups and institutions such as Yithi Abazali encourage victims to report such cases.
In the main, police stations are and must remain the focal centres for coordinating mass mobilisation against crime. Society needs to feel safe and secure the minute they enter a police station. They need not feel more victimised by the very same police officers who in the first place, are supposed to protect them.
Such exemplary conduct by our police will go a long way in helping us succeed in dealing a deadly blow to crime. As government, we are currently intensifying our campaigns at all levels to reduce crime, especially the proliferation of illegal firearms and drugs, corruption and fraudulent activities, abuse of women and children, the elderly and family violence.
The White Paper on Safety and Security further charges us as the leadership and management of police to ensure that specific guidelines should be developed to ensure that in cases of sexual offence, rape or domestic violence, victims are treated with sensitivity. Due regard should be given to victims with special needs and it must be ensured that they are especially treated with dignity, compassion and care.
Our opening of the Victim Friendly Facility earlier here in Umlazi must represent a new hope for the victims of crime who come here, particularly women. But this facility will remain a mere structure unless we begin to ensure that police officers who serve the victims are adequately trained.
This facility must bring change and a new sense of confidence. Together with police it must holistically address and reduce crimes such as domestic violence, child abuse, women’s rights, children’s rights and their responsibilities, sexual assault, drugs, alcohol and women abuse. It must become a much needed arsenal in our goals of reducing crime against women and children.
We all have an obligation to deal with the perception of crime and build a positive image of our police. This facility provides an opportunity to ensure we change the perception of how police officers respond to crime and the kind of treatment we give to victims of crimes.
We must organise and mobilise communities to build broader partnerships in pursuit of the ideals of the reconstruction and development, nation-building and reconciliation. Through this effort we must also, in theory and practice, reflect the participatory democracy we are building.
Focus must be placed on mobilising society to make life difficult for criminals in our communities. We must together overhaul the patriarchal family relations, and ensure that our communities do not tolerate the abuse of women, children, people living with the different disabilities and the elders.
Working together with Yithi Abazali project, we can do more to eradicate crime in Umlazi.
I thank you.
Remarks by the Minister of Police, EN Mthethwa, MP at the launch of the Yithi Abazali project, Glebelands Stadium, Umlazi, KwaZulu-Natal
