National Police Commissioner Kehla Sithole has launched the provincial Safer Festive Season operation at Oakley in Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga. Bushuckridge is one of the regions in Mpumalanga with a high crime rate. Sithole says there will be operations across the country, focusing on high crime areas.
“We have already made an indication and demonstrated that one thing we will be referring to the no-go areas will exclude Mpumalanga. I think what is encouraging with Mpumalanga is that you have two action-orientated people. All we do is provide operational direction and also provide resources like this particular area being a hotspot. What will be following soon now is the stabilisation action plan,” says Kehla Sithole.
Meanwhile, more police officers will be on standby as the country goes to the local government elections. This announcement was made during the launch of the Safer Festive Season Campaign. Mpumalanga Community Safety, Security and Liaison’s Vusi Shongwe says police will be deployed in all the areas to ensure that no criminal activities take place.
“Basically the reason behind this is to make sure that our people during this festive season and during this elections time they are safe in the province, no intimidation, there are no criminal activities that will interfere with their lives in one way or another,” says Shongwe.
Minister of Police Bheki Cele launched the National Safer Festive Season Operation in Brits two weeks ago, with the theme ‘Extending our reach through blue light visibility’.
The campaign will focus on visible policing and targeting prevalent crimes.
VIDEO: The National Safer Festive Season Operations launched in Brits:
Eastern Cape plan
The festive season is around the corner and the safety and security cluster in the Eastern Cape has put plans in place to ensure it’s a safe one.
The MEC of Safety and Liaison in the Eastern Cape, Weziwe Tikana-Gxothiwe has received the safer festive season plan for the province from the Eastern Cape SAPS in Gqeberha.
Emphasis will be placed on adhering to the curfew and keeping the streets safe. But before that can happen, there’s also an election to complete before the festive vibes can kick off.
Tikana-Gxothiwe says every effort will be made to ensure a safe festive season.
“We are here today to launch and renew the mandate of the police that we have to deliver a safer festive season free of incidents and crime of course. We have reduced the number of crime stats in our area, from this area and the whole of the Eastern Cape,” says Tikana-Gxothiwe.
