Minister in the Presidency Jackson Mthembu says government is fast-tracking the implementation of the revised Rural Safety Strategy to respond to the security needs of rural communities and support socio-economic development.
Briefing the media on the outcomes of the Cabinet meeting held on Wednesday, Mthembu said Cabinet fully supports the work of the South African Police Service (SAPS) in arresting those committing heinous crimes in the country, which includes the killing and maiming of farmers and farm workers throughout the country.
“The farming community is an integral part of our economy, and crime on farms poses a threat not only to the personal safety of farmers and farmworkers but also to the country’s food security. Cabinet calls on the nation to assist the SAPS in the fight against crime by joining community police forums, and to report crime to the nearest police station,” Mthembu said on Thursday.
To report crime, call the toll-free Crime Stop number at 08600 10111, send an anonymous SMS to Crime Line at 32211 or use the MySAPS App – the free, crime-reporting mobile application available for smartphones – to provide anonymous crime tip-offs.
“We must work together to root out crime in our communities and make our country safer for all,” Mthembu said.
Arrest in various corruption cases welcomed
Cabinet has also welcomed the arrest of persons allegedly involved in various cases of corruption, fraud, money laundering and theft.
The cases include, among others, the looting of COVID-19 social relief funds, the fraudulent procurement of COVID-19 personal protective equipment, the scandal related to the asbestos housing project, and failure to report or under reporting to the South African Revenue Service (SARS).
Mthembu said Cabinet fully appreciates and supports all endeavours to recover public funds from all those who have engaged in these fraudulent activities.
“The recent arrests are a testament that no one is above the law and they demonstrate government’s commitment to hold to account those who continue to break the law by robbing poor South Africans of much needed government assistance and Aid.
“Cabinet calls on the public to play their part by reporting those who commit such crimes to law-enforcement agencies or calling the National Anti-Corruption Hotline on 0800 701 701,” Mthembu said.
GBVF remains a plague
Cabinet has further reiterated its call on all South Africans to work together with law-enforcement agencies to ensure all vulnerable groups, particularly the elderly, women and children are protected from violence and abuse.
Mthembu noted that the scourge of Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) and the abuse of children, which President Cyril Ramaphosa has denounced as the second pandemic after COVID-19, “remains a plague on our communities and we must do our best to eradicate it”.
He said that the recent case of the eight-year-old twin girls from Mpumalanga who were allegedly abused by their father, is deeply disturbing and concerning.
“One of the girls reported the incidence to her school teacher, and we must commend the response by the school that led to the arrest of the suspect. As a law-abiding and peace-loving nation, we should all unite in condemning such heinous crimes with the utmost contempt they deserve.
“The Bill of Rights enshrined in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa of 1996 specifically states that every child has the right to be protected from maltreatment, neglect, abuse or degradation,” Mthembu said. – SAnews.gov.za
