The DA can make Tshwane safer for its people

4 July 2016

Today we are here at the Pretoria Central Police Station to say no to the crime, violence and drug abuse that is holding our communities hostage.

For too long the people of the Capital have been living in fear, because the ANC government has failed to prioritise your safety.

Crime affects each and every one of us every day. The fear of crime crosses all racial, gender and social lines; it does not discriminate.

I hear from people every day about how they do not feel safe in their homes, places of work or on the streets. I have seen the effects of drug addiction and Nyaope abuse can tear families apart.

We barricade ourselves in our houses, we fear walking to the toilet in the night, we no longer feel free to ask our children to walk 100 metres down the road to the shop. This is no way to live.

The people of South Africa deserve to feel safe. The people of Tshwane deserve to feel safe.

But crime is rising because the ANC has failed to take up the call to protect and secure our citizens. 

Fighting crime is a matter of political will and the prioritisation of resources to achieve the best outcomes, which is the reduction of crime. 

The government of this city has the power to make a difference and reduce crime. While the South African Police Service (SAPS) is under the control of the national government the metro police service is not. 

The metro police are responsible for traffic policing, policing of municipal by-laws and the prevention of crime. Yet the Tshwane Metro Police Department have a staff vacancy rate of 48%. That means that they only have half the number of people they need to carry out their mandate of keeping our people safe. 

Despite their high vacancy rate, the Tshwane Metropolitan Police Department (TMPD) still managed to spend 78% of their budget on staff related costs. It is clear that the people of Tshwane are not getting value for their money. That is not a department that is prioritising the safety of the people of Tshwane.

A report tabled before the Tshwane legislature in June this year outlines the severe challenges and shortcomings of the TMPD:

- Only half of the newly trained metro police officers were given bullet proof vests;

- That the TMPD have not received any patrol cars in the last two financial years;

- Not all members have been issued with a firearm due to shortages; and

- There is a shortage of radios which puts the lives of officers in danger as they are not able to communicate with their counter parts or call for help if necessary. 

We know what the problem is – the leadership of the TMPD are as corrupt as they come and are brought to you by the ANC. 

The truth is that the ANC in the Capital have not stopped crime, and Thoko Didiza will not stop crime. 

Thoko Didiza has been sent here by Jacob Zuma to bring you more of the same. She will not do what is needed to take back our streets and make sure our people are safe. 

The truth is that Didiza will be a lame duck mayor, too busy putting out the fires started by the ANC in-fighting in Tshwane to do what is need to turn the tide against crime and drug abuse in the Capital.

But I am here today to tell you that the fight is not lost. Together we can bring change to Tshwane and make it safer. The DA has a plan to turn the tide against crime in the Capital. 

In the Western Cape where the DA governs we have many of the same problems, drugs are rife and so is gangsterism, but we are working hard to implement changes within the metro police service to work towards a safer society.

I am here with my colleague, Alderman JP Smith, who has first-hand knowledge of how, with the political will and proper prioritisation, we can ensure that the citizens of Tshwane are safer on their streets, in their homes and their communities. 

A DA government in Tshwane will do what it takes to to make sure the people of this city are and feel safe:

- We will properly equip Metro Police officers and Emergency Services to better fight crime, including making sure that response vehicles which have broken down or have been involved in accidents are quickly repaired.

- We will establish a specialised narcotics unit within the TMPD to crack down on drug dealers and to make sure our children do not have their futures stolen by addiction.

- And we will appoint a qualified and experienced police officer as the Chief of the TMPD. The Chief’s example will inspire discipline and duty among ordinary Metro Police officers.

We do not need to accept crime as an inescapable reality in Tshwane. 

We do not need to accept that we must live in fear.

We do not need to watch our families destroyed by drug addiction.

On 3 August the people of Tshwane can vote in an honest and responsive DA government that will fight for the safety, security and freedom of the people of Tshwane.

We can bring change not only to this City, but to South Africa at large. 

Together we move our city forward again.

Issued by Motheo Mtimkulu, MediaManager, Tshwane Mayoral Campaign, 4 July 2016