EThekwini Municipality became one of 10 pilot cities to activate the Integrated Safer Cities Project, which aims to use technological methods to fight crime and make it a safer city.
The project launch and signing of the pledge took place at the Dr JL Dube Sportsfield in Inanda on 20 November. It was significant that the event was held in Inanda, which according to crime statistics, rate the Inanda, Ntuzuma and KwaMashu (INK) areas as crime hotspots.
The special crime-fighting programme stems from the national Crime Prevention Strategy, with the intention of preventing and decreasing crime rates in major cities. It will use a first-of-its-kind fusion centre which will be a platform for information sharing through a collaborative approach among safety officials. This aims to maximise an efficient response and collect evidence-led information with the aim of achieving safer cities.
Speaking at the launch, Deputy Police Minister Cassel Mathale said:
“A safe city is one where a young woman can walk alone at night, without the fear of being harassed, violated or harmed in any way. This is the goal that this administration is working tirelessly towards achieving.”
Deputy Minister Mathale said through this programme, government aims to see crime decrease by half within the next decade which was a step closer towards a crime-free community.
“A safer city needs to be functional with roads that are accessible, streets that are well-lit and closed-circuit television cameras that work. Safe cities have bylaws that are respected and adhered to by residents and enforced by authorities,” he said.
EThekwini Mayor Councillor Mxolisi Kaunda said while the City has an active economy, further economic potential cannot be unlocked if there was not a positive investor climate.
He cautioned that it would be extremely difficult to attract tourists to Inanda if the area remained a hotspot for serious crimes such as sexual offences and murder.
National Commissioner of the South African Police Service Khehla Sithole said the recent spike in gender-based violence (GBV) was a concern and posed a challenge to the crime-fighting project.
Darul Ihsan Media Desk