The government needs to start paying attention to crime, comedian and organiser of the city's Million Man March, Desmond Dube, said on Tuesday.
Dube was speaking at the anti-crime march held at the Union Buildings.
A memorandum on behalf of South Africans was handed over to Correctional Services Minister Ngconde Balfour by radio personality Criselda Kananda.
"The primary thing in the memorandum is that people are ready to unite with government. The leadership needs to take time to prioritise crime. (We) need government to start prioritising crime. Enough is enough," said Dube.
He apologised to victims of South African crime, saying: "We tell the world about ubuntu ... a word that has no meaning if people in that building (the Union Buildings) don't do what they are supposed to," he said.
About 7 000 people, including actors, pupils, a soccer star, political parties and victims of crime, turned up.
Accepting the memorandum, Balfour said government had taken note of people's grievances and that, by way of the memorandum, people wanted to create a safe environment for their communities.
Democratic Alliance leader Helen Zille said that crime needed to be dealt with. Earlier, DA members displayed placards, one of which read: "Drop Selebi, not the Scorpions."
Toni Williams, mother of Emily Williams, 12, who was murdered in Johannesburg in February, said: "I'm here to bring people's attention to crime."
She expressed her disappointment at President Thabo Mbeki's absence, saying this was the "typical attitude" that needed to be eradicated.
Tshwane metro police spokesperson William Baloyi said the police had anticipated 100 000 to a million people, but that "10 000 people and under" had participated. - Sapa