Policing is under the spotlight after the release of the national crime stats by Police Minister Senzo Mchunu yesterday. Picture: Ayanda Ndamane African News Agency (ANA)
ANC KwaZulu-Natal has welcomed the initiatives aimed at curbing crime to ensure the province became safer and was rid of criminals, while the DA called for a decentralised policing structure.
Addressing the media yesterday ‒ soon after Police Minister Senzo Mchunu presented the latest crime statistics which showed that some parts of Durban and KZN still had high crime levels ‒ the ANC conceded that more work needed to be done.
ANC KZN Secretary Bheki Mtolo told the media they had agreed to double their efforts to work towards the creation of a crime free society.
“We commend the work of Police Minister Senzo Mchunu and the Provincial Police Commissioner Lt General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi. We are seeing great improvement in the area of fighting crime across all corners of the province, especially in hot spots,” said Mtolo.
He said their plan to fight crime would include:
“The spirit of civic responsibility and pride which leads citizens to respect and obey the law and value human lives must be built by all of us in this province. Without this, reducing crime levels will remain a huge challenge,” the provincial secretary said.
Mtolo said the party was satisfied with efforts to deal with the taxi industry which had at times been at odds with the law and a source of conflict.
“We commend the work of ANC Provincial Chair as MEC for Transport and Human Settlements Siboniso Duma aimed at ensuring stability in the taxi industry and public transport sector,” Mtolo said.
He said the party was committed to programmes aimed at creating peace, reconciliation and the end of conflict in KwaZulu-Natal, emphasising that this would create an atmosphere in which to restore normality in people’s.
Reacting to the statistics, the DA in KZN noted that while there was a slight decrease in murder when comparing April to June 2024 and April to June 2023, overall figures for contact crimes (crimes against a person) increased alarmingly.
DA spokesperson on Community Safety and Liaison and Member of Provincial Legislature Riona Gokool lamented how rape and attempted sexual offences also increased over the same period.
“It is a reality that a centralised police force under an incompetent central state, that abuses the law enforcement apparatus for party political ends, has resulted in the progressive collapse of policing in KZN,” she said.
The MPL called for a decentralised police service and more local accountability, insisting that by working with municipalities, plans could be developed to deal with crime trends specific to each area. She also expressed the DA’s commitment to creating a safer, more secure KZN, stressing how this was in line with the party’s vision rooted in the principles of accountability, transparency, and community empowerment.
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