Crime in Gauteng is unacceptably high, a recent provincial lekgotla (meeting) attended by premier Mbhazima Shilowa agreed.
It impacted negatively on quality of life and was a threat to development, Shilowa told reporters in Johannesburg on Monday.
”The retreat agreed that government and all law-enforcement agencies must adopt a zero-tolerance approach to crime, and that all peace-loving South Africans should be called upon to work together and harder to entrench a culture of respect for the law at all levels of society.
”In particular, it was agreed that effective crime prevention, policing and law enforcement should be complemented by improvements in the broader criminal justice system, so that those who commit crime feel the full might of the law and are effectively punished.”
This was especially important for tourism and the 2010 Soccer World Cup.
”We can’t guarantee the safety of spectators when we are not able to deal with the issue of our own crime,” said Shilowa.
Levels of violent crime had to be drastically reduced by 2010, he said.
There had to be more visible policing and more police cars on the road. — Sapa