Daily Maverick
Dailymaverick logo

South Africa

South Africa, Maverick News

Community policing forums plead for Minister Mchunu to counter rampant crime

Community policing forums plead for Minister Mchunu to counter rampant crime
Simon Rakgokong of the South African Police Union said police killings showed the levels of disrespect of the state by criminals. (Photo: Supplied)
Vincent Cruywagen
By Vincent Cruywagen
2 Jul 2024
Facebook
4
Community policing forums, anti-crime activists and police unions want new Police Minister Senzo Mchunu to create an environment in which people can freely walk to church or the shops and children can play in the streets without being hit by stray bullets.

Senzo Munchu’s appointment as police minister comes amid rising crime levels. According to the third-quarter crime statistics, between 1 October 2023 and 31 December 2023, a total of 7,710 people in South Africa were murdered.

Community policing forums (CPFs), anti-crime activists and police unions want Mchunu, who President Cyril Ramaphosa announced would take over from Bheki Cele, to improve crime intelligence capacity to combat gang violence, corruption, extortion, kidnappings, organised crime and the spread of illegal drugs and guns. 

Read more in Daily Maverick: SA murder rate up, sexual offences decline, police crack down on construction mafias – Cele

Stakeholders shared what they expect from the new minister.

Khayelitsha, Cape Town


Mchunu police khayelitsha The shack where four of eight people were gunned down in a Khayelitsha, Cape Town shooting on 17 April 2024. (Photo: Gallo Images / Brenton Geach)



The Khayelitsha Development Forum’s (KDF’s) concerns follow a recent mass shooting in which four people died, three of whom were minors,  when gunmen entered a barber shop in Khayelitsha and opened fire on patrons.  

Read more in Daily Maverick: Police ‘hope for quick arrests’ after three children die in Khayelitsha barber shop shooting

Monde Nqulwana, the KDF acting chairperson, told Daily Maverick that they welcomed the appointments of Mchunu and Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development Thembi Nkadimeng. 

Mchunu police khayelitsha The scene of murders in Khayelitsha, Cape Town on 10 June 2024 that claimed the lives of three children and an adult, and hospitalised three others. (Photo: Gallo Images / Brenton Geach)



“KDF takes a keen interest in the two ministers and cautiously welcomes their appointment against the background that Khayelitsha has turned to be a murder capital. As a result, it is one of the most dangerous townships in the country due to mass killings.

“This needs a detailed focus and energy from all state security apparatus, especially the police and justice. Hopefully, the two ministers will rejuvenate hope and fight the scourge of crime,” he said. 

The KDF urged both ministers to work with communities to develop and implement community-driven crime-fighting initiatives.

Elsies River, Cape Town


Mchunu police mukaddam Imraahn Mukaddam from the Elsies River Community Policing Forum wants newly elected police minister Senzo Mchunu to place more emphasis on capacitating detectives and crime intelligence to counter the wars and organised crime. (Photo: Supplied)



Elsies River is one of several communities in the Western Cape that is gripped by gang violence. CPF spokesperson Imraahn Mukaddam wants the new police minister to devote time to training detectives and crime intelligence officers.

“We are not getting enough convictions and there is not sufficient crime intelligence capacity to counter the gang wars and organised crime on the Cape Flats,” he said.

Mukaddam suggested that the new minister strengthen community structures like CPFs and develop communication strategies to improve relationships between SAPS and vulnerable communities.

“The most common refrain in most communities is that the police cannot be trusted and are corrupt. If the minister can change this perception, many more people will come forward with sensitive information,” he said.

Hanover Park, Cape Town


mchunu crime mohammed Kashiefa Mohammed, spokesperson for the Hanover Park Community Policing Forum asked newly elected Police Minister Senzo Mchunu to create a safe environment where children and residents could walk freely to church or to the shop and where children could play outside without being hit by stray bullets. (Photo: Supplied)



Hanover Park CPF spokesperson Kashiefa Mohammed said residents were being held hostage in their own community. During the school holidays, children are unable to play outside and people are unable to attend church on Sundays.

“To the new police minister, we need you to focus on all of these murders, particularly those involving women and children, committed by gangsters. Minister, Hanover Park is bleeding. You will be held accountable for every murder that occurs in our community.

“Minister Mchunu, come and hear our cry; our heart bleeds with grief and pain as a community living in a red zone area such as Hanover Park.”

Primrose, Germiston


The Primrose CPF in Germiston, Ekurhuleni, is opposed to Mchunu’s appointment because they believe the position requires someone with military or policing qualifications.

“Mr Senzo Mchunu has no experience or qualifications in this field. Unfortunately, all we can do now is hope and pray for the best,” its spokesperson, Tracy Enslin, told Daily Maverick.

She said they expected Munchu to ensure that SAPS members received proper training and understood their duties, the laws and by-laws and that SAPS members were trained in communicating with the community in cases of crime and trauma.

Bethelsdorp, Gqeberha


Karen Kemp, the chairperson of the Bethelsdorp CPF in Gqeberha, said “One of the most significant issues in Port Elizabeth is the availability of police vehicles. Police vehicle repairs are outsourced, and parts are sometimes ordered from Pretoria.

“SAPS waits up to three months for a vehicle to be repaired. This means less visibility. When CPF members are out patrolling, crime in those areas comes to a halt, but the moment we leave, criminals emerge and take over.”  

She said police visibility was critical to crime prevention.

llitha Labantu


This social service and educational NGO, founded in 1989, focuses on addressing violence against women and children and assisting those affected.

Its spokesperson, Siya Monakali, said violence against women and children was a national crisis that required urgent attention.  

Ilitha Labantu called on Mchunu to prioritise gender-based violence cases, strengthen victim support services and mandate gender sensitivity training for all law enforcement officers.

Institute for Security Studies (ISS)


The ISS said Mchunu’s experience in government “stands him in good stead to provide evidence-based policy direction and rigorous oversight so that the South African Police Service (SAPS) can measurably improve its ability to provide public safety over the next five years”.

It pointed out that police effectiveness had declined drastically since 2012, with the police detection rate for murder dropping from 31% to 12%.

“This decline is partly due to a shifting crime landscape as a result of growing social and economic challenges and new technology, while the SAPS — a large and cumbersome organisation — has changed very little over the past couple of decades,” said Gareth Newham, the head of justice and violence prevention at the ISS.

“The SAPS needs renewal and clear direction. As an initial, urgent measure, the minister should formally direct the SAPS to focus on reducing firearm crime and violence, which will bring down the murder and robbery rates. Between 2011 and 2023, murders increased by 77% and armed robberies by over 41%.

“Within six months, Mchunu should issue a clear and bold National Policing Policy aimed at improving police performance, particularly concerning crime intelligence and investigation,” said Newham.

Policing Union of South Africa (Ipusa)


Mchunu police nkuna Bethuel Nkuna, president of the Independent Policing Union of South Africa, says South Africans have been living in fear of criminals and expect relief from new Police Minister Senzo Mchunu. (Photo: Supplied)



Ipusa’s president, Bethuel Nephtal Nkuna, said: “Ipusa is not concerned with who holds the position of minister of police, but rather with what he or she will do to ensure that South Africans are free of the rampant crime that destroys their lives and property. South Africans have been living in fear of criminals for a long time, and they are hoping that the new minister will bring an end to this madness.” 

He said Mchunu needed to address the urgent issues facing the SAPS. 

“One of them is to strengthen detective and intelligence units’ ability to fight and combat crime. The most effective way for the police to reduce crime is to target specific individuals and disrupt their criminal networks.”  

South African Police Union (Sapu)


Mchunu police rakgokong Simon Rakgokong of the South African Police Union said police killings showed the levels of disrespect of the state by criminals. (Photo: Supplied)



Sapu’s Simon Rakgokong said: “It should and must not be business as usual; specialised units will play an important role in reducing hideous crime through thorough specialised investigation, ensuring conviction. We don’t want to entertain arrests if they don’t result in convictions that get criminals off the streets, and you need these units for that.

“Police killings demonstrate the extent to which criminals disrespect the state. The minister must put a stop to it by influencing the declaration of police killings as treason, which they are. We look forward to collaborating for a safer South Africa.”  

Anti-crime activist Yusuf Abramjee


Yusuf Abramjee, an anti-crime activist and presenter of CrimeWatch on eTV and eNCA, said Mchunu was known for his hard work and he hoped he would do whatever it took to make SA safe.

“The new minister will have his hands full — from tackling cop killings to gang warfare, corruption and poor service delivery. Let’s hope he makes a difference and brings his best. He needs to ensure that there is no political interference in the police operations.

“I hope Mchunu will implement Chapter 11 of the National Development Plan on policing. It’s crucial that the NDP be brought to life, including the appointment of a police board,” he said. DM

Daily Maverick’s journalism is funded by the contributions of our Maverick Insider members. If you appreciate our work, then join our membership community. Defending Democracy is an everyday effort. Be part of it. Become a Maverick Insider.

Categories:

Tags: