Johannesburg - The perception that Gauteng is a “gangster's paradise” where lawlessness rules is bad for business, Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa said on Friday.
“The fact of the matter is that such slogans are contributing negatively and affecting Gauteng's image, thus affecting its economic growth,” Mthethwa said in a speech prepared for delivery in Alexandra, Johannesburg.
“No business person would want to invest in a gangster's paradise. No parent would want their children to grow up in a gangster's paradise. No normal schooling would take place in a gangster's paradise.”
He said Gauteng was a thriving province and it was government's duty to ensure such perceptions changed.
“We all know that Madiba lived in Gauteng... If indeed we are to honour his legacy, we all have a duty to ensure that Gauteng becomes a safer province.”
Mthethwa said the arrest of Czech fugitive Radovan Krejcir and his alleged accomplices, and the arrest of forensic auditor Lawrence Moepi's alleged killer, proved no one was untouchable.
He urged the police to keep close contact with their communities. Mthethwa said there was a need for responsible parenting.
“The protection of children must not be seen solely as a policing duty. We cannot apportion parenting of children to police. Parents must parent. Police will police. If a 10-year old child is hooked on drugs we need to begin to question ourselves, where is the parent?
“When teenagers spend hours on social media, chatting to strangers who promise to look after them, where are the parents?” he asked.
Sapa