The IFP calls upon the KZN Authorities to declare war on crime.
The IFP’s call comes after Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) this week released a survey, which found, among others, that “an estimated 1,2 million incidences of housebreaking occurred, affecting 891 000 households in South Africa”, and that the “highest proportion of households that experienced housebreaking were in KwaZulu-Natal”.
The report, released on 1 December 2020, contains “a selection of key findings from the Governance, Public Safety, and Justice Survey (GPSJS) 2019/20 … from April 2019 to March 2020.”
The results from the GPSJS are an indictment of the police and the justice system’s inability to provide the penalties and safeguards required to keep criminals at bay. Instead, they do as they please, without fear of facing consequences. It is time for the authorities – in particular the KZN MEC for Community Safety and Liaison, Bheki Ntuli, and the KZN Police Commissioner, Lt General Khombinkosi Jula – to take the necessary action. The safety of the citizens – in their homes and in public – should be their first priority.
In addition, the IFP believes that practical measures can also be adopted, for example, with regards to curbing the high rate of housebreaking, the public should refrain from buying stolen goods, and thereby supporting criminals. The Second-Hand Goods Act regulates pawnbrokers and dealers in second-hand goods, so as to combat trade in stolen goods, and to promote ethical standards in the second-hand goods environment. In essence, the Act stipulates that any person who buys stolen goods is as guilty as the person who stole the goods; and harsher sentences will apply to both the buyer and the thief.
The IFP encourages the community to report any person selling suspected stolen goods, and thereby make a contribution to the war on crime.
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Contact:
Mr Blessed Gwala, MPL
IFP KZN Provincial Spokesperson for Community Safety and Liaison
078 290 5842