The upsurge in violent crime, cash-in-transit robberies and violence against women and children underlines the fact that the government has failed to control crime and protect its citizens, said the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) on Wednesday.
This statement was among grievances detailed by the IFP in a memorandum handed over to a representative from Safety and Security Minister Charles Nqakula’s office in Pietermaritzburg.
”This memorandum serves to register the grievances of the IFP against out-of-control crime levels and the failures of the criminal justice system in South Africa,” spokesperson Albert Mncwango said.
A copy of the memorandum was also given to a magistrate on behalf of Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development Brigitte Mabandla.
Thousands of IFP supporters who marched across the Pietermaritzburg city centre appealed to President Thabo Mbeki and Nqakula to ”acknowledge that crime is out of control”.
They also demanded that the government launches a viable national crime-prevention strategy and make crime fighting a national priority.
”The ongoing centralisation of police services has removed crime prevention and crime fighting from the community level where it is sorely needed … decentralisation should be effected,” Mncwango said.
He said the police budget needed to be ”allocated in such a way that recruitment of large numbers of police, better training and purchasing of equipment like cars, radios and bullet-proof vests” was possible.
In terms of Mabandla’s office, the IFP called for a legislation that would compel judicial officers to deliver judgements within two months of the conclusion of a trial.
”Steps should also be taken to ensure that people do not await trial for longer than six months,” Mncwango said.
”The government should also launch a fund to compensate victims of crime, and provide comprehensive training programmes to improve skills of judicial officers and prosecutors.” — Sapa