By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Minister in The Presidency Mondli Gungubele said the South African Police Service (SAPS) is being strengthened to prevent crime in the wake of gun violence.
Gungubele conveyed the message while briefing the media on the outcomes of the regular Cabinet meeting held on Wednesday.
This, he said, includes putting more police on the streets and setting up specialised teams that will focus on specific types of crime.
“South Africa will also use data-driven methods in a more sophisticated way to identify and target crime hotspots,” he said.
The Minister said SAPS was intensifying operations to detect and remove illegal firearms and ammunition from the hands of criminals.
The police have, in the past 12 months, permanently removed 65,519 firearms from circulation, he said.
The Cabinet position was made in the wake of the murder of hip-hop artist Kiernan Forbes, popularly known as AKA, and celebrity chef Tebello Motsoane, in Durban, last week.
At the meeting, Cabinet expressed its condolences to the family and friends of both men.
He said: “Cabinet also expressed its sympathies to the family and friends of anti-crime activist, Ayob Mungalee, who was recently shot dead at Eldorado Park in Johannesburg.”
He was the national director of the People Seeking Justice Action Group, a movement which mobilised community members to take a stand against gangsterism and drug dealing.
Cabinet also expressed condolences to the families and friends of those killed in recent mass shootings in the Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape.
“These heinous and cold-blooded attacks, which are being investigated by law-enforcement authorities, highlight the prevalence of gun violence and its impact on communities,” he said.
Meanwhile, Cabinet said school safety in South Africa remains a top priority for the government and reports of violence between learners and educators are a serious cause for concern.
“While the Department of Basic Education has put mechanisms in place to combat this scourge, it is the responsibility of parents and guardians to collaborate with school authorities and learners to ensure that schools remain safe places for our learners to develop and become responsible citizens. The safety of our educators at schools is also of paramount importance,” said Gungubele.
Cabinet expresses condolences to families of flood victims
Cabinet has expressed condolences to the families who have lost loved ones in the recent devastating floods, which recently hit several parts of the country.
“We thank our emergency and rescue services across the country who have worked tirelessly to save lives. Let us come together as a nation and offer assistance to those who are in desperate need of care and support,” Gungubele said.
Earlier this week, government declared a National State of Disaster to enable an intensive, coordinated response to the impact of floods that are affecting Mpumalanga, the Eastern Cape, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, the Northern Cape and North West provinces.
The declaration, made in terms of the Disaster Management Act of 2002, was on Monday gazetted by Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) Minister, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma.
The National Disaster Management Centre has, in terms of Section 23 of the Disaster Management Act, classified the impact of current, above-normal rainfall in various parts of the country – with Mpumalanga and the Eastern Cape as the most affected – as a national disaster.
A national disaster may be declared by the Minister of CoGTA where disastrous events occur or threaten to occur in more than one province.
National entities, including the South African Police Service and the South African National Defence Force, may be required to play a role in response to the disaster.
Condolences for Limpopo bus crash victims
Cabinet has also sent it condolences to the families of the people who died recently when a bus collided with a cash-in-transit vehicle on the N1 highway in Limpopo.
“Government will be exploring new laws to curb truck crashes, one of which includes moving cargo from road to rail in the hope that this would take pressure off of road freight.
“Cabinet appeals to all road users to obey the rules of the road by being vigilant, considerate and patient towards other road users. Drivers under the influence of alcohol or drugs as well as reckless and negligent driving, including speeding, are responsible for most road accidents,” Cabinet said.