DURBAN - THE EThekwini Municipality has called on communities to revive street committees to fight crime in their areas.
Mayor Mxolisi Kaunda said communities must get involved as combating crime is a collective responsibility.
He made the remark while addressing a council meeting recently.
“We are calling upon communities to establish street committees to help combat crime in their areas. Indeed, fighting crime is a collective responsibility,” he said.
Street committees that operated in many black communities in the past often developed a bad reputation. They were accused of being a law unto themselves, abusing, assaulting and victimising individuals who were not committing any crimes.
Kaunda said creating a peaceful and safe environment contributes to the creation of a positive investor climate in the city.
“We are gravely concerned about the latest crime statistics which show that uMlazi and Inanda continue to be crime hot spots in eThekwini. We are also worried about the murder rate in Mpumalanga township and Cato Crest.
“There are specialised teams deployed in these hot spots to tackle crime. We have also galvanised private sector funding to upgrade three of our satellite police stations to increase police visibility in Inanda.
“Recently, the city launched the Community Safety Forum and Local Drug Action Committee which brings together community crime-fighting structures, business, police and various government departments,” he said.
He said an amount of R69 million has been allocated towards strengthening smart policing technology.
“In the Phoenix, Inanda, Ntuzuma and KwaMashu (PINK) area, we have commenced with the project of installing CCTV cameras to help us fight crime effectively,” he said.
Dr Johan Burger, a security expert said this was a noble idea that could work.
He added that for it to be a success, members of these committees should be trained by police, they should understand what powers they have and what they must do when they encounter a serious situation.
He said these committees should also be linked with local police stations as this would allow the police to exercise some control.
THE MERCURY