News Letter – Latest Post
- The Department of Community Safety scoops awards at the Provincial Batho-Pele awards ceremony.
The Court Watching Brief Programme of the Department of Community Safety won the Premier’s Award of being the BEST IMPLEMENTED PROJECT OF THE YEAR, at the Provincial Batho Pele Service Excellence and Innovations Ceremony, which was held on the 9 March 2023, at Hemingway’s Hotel in East London.
- POLICING ACCOUNTABILITY AND STAKEHOLDERS’ ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMME HELD AT LIMAKATSO BOUTIQUE HOTEL IN ALIWAL NORTH
The Department of Community Safety (DoCS) through the Joe Gqabi District Office held a Policing Accountability and Stakeholders` Engagement Programme, at Limakatso Boutique Hotel in Aliwal North on the 28 February 2023.
Ms Phumla Nqakula the Chief Director of Community Safety Branch, in giving the purpose of the day she said the criminal activities plaguing the district were among others, the Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF), as well as assaults, emanating from prevalent substance abuse in these areas, according to the crime statistics released.
“We are therefore, gathered here today to afford all stakeholders an opportunity to make inputs into strategies of crime prevention,” she added.
This was backed-up by Mr Martin Sycholt the Director of Research and Policy in DoCS who echoed the same sentiments in his report that were uttered by Ms Nqakula: “Gender-Based Violence and Femicide as well as assaults, were as a result of the vicious circle of poverty that people find themselves in, as well as high unemployment rate and inequality in these areas,” he said.
Meanwhile, Colonel Septimus Manerwich and Lieutenant Colonel Moloisane Station Commanders both said in giving the crime overview, that the house robbery, aggravated assaults, slight increase in business robbery, robbery with firearm, assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, rape, stock theft, GBVF, murder, and burglaries, were among the contributory factors to the spike of crime in these areas.
The success of the programme was made possible by the presence of high-profile representatives from the South African Police Service (SAPS), Community Police Forum (CPF), Department of Education and School Governing Body, Taxi Association, Woman to Woman, Man against crime, Sanco, Department of Social Development, Ward Committees, Community Safety Forum (CSF), Ward Councilors, Department of Justice, Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), Joe Gqabi District Municipality, Walter Sisulu University, Ministers Fraternal (Abefundisi), and Community Safety provincial and district.
- MEC Stakeholders` Engagement Session
MEC Xolile Nqatha for the Eastern Cape Department of Community Safety, held stakeholders`
engagement session following the spate of killings, mass shootings and lawlessness in the Nelson Mandela Metro. The MEC met with the Community Police Forum and South African Police Service (SAPS) management at Mount Road Police Station in Gqeberha on how to tackle head on the spate of crime in the area. The MEC in his speech he urged the law-enforcement agencies to work hard in finding the perpetrators of mass killings particularly the recent incident, which happened at Kwazakhele Township in Gqeberha. He also encouraged the Community to work hand in hand with the police in order to curb criminal activities in the area. - Release of 2nd Quarter Crime Statistics.
On 12th December the Department’s MEC and HOD along side some officials of the department attended the Crime Statistics Release at Nangoza Jebe Hall in New Brighton, Port Elizabeth. This is a quarterly release of crime statistics in the province by the SAPS. The report covers robberies, rape cases, murder cases, stock theft, and shootings in various parts of the Eastern Cape.
The report gives an overview of the SAPS’s successes and shortcomings in combating crime within the province. Some of the regions that have been identified as hot spots include OR Tambo, Nelson Mandela Bay and Buffalo City Municipality. It is therefore evident that the police are faced with a lot of work.
The MEC Honourable X. Nqatha stated that the stats were a reflection of how big the problem was and that it should be treated like wise. He also added that the role played by the SAPS was a difficult one, he therefore called for integration and collaboration amongst stakeholders in the fight against crime. “ The criminals are in our homes and communities, we should therefore speak up and report them” said the MEC while he was emphasizing that the SAPS cannot work alone without our assistance.
