#KeepTheLightsOn: DA North West calls on SAPS for emergency measures to fight crime under Eskom blackouts

29 March 2019

Today, the Democratic Alliance marched together with the community of Mahikeng to demand that our constitutional rights to safety and security be protected and enforced. The right to safety is enshrined in the Constitution of South Africa and it is imperative that it is upheld in practice. 

The people of North West do not feel safe in their homes, on the streets and in communities.

Over the last couple of years, we have noted a steady rise in rural crime in North West, especially violent and brutal crimes that affect far-flung communities.

This situation is made worse under rolling Eskom blackouts in the province.

Rural towns across the North West experience up to 9 hours a day without electricity supply under Eskom’s Stage 4 rolling blackouts.

The extended blackouts create a favourable environment for criminals to terrorise rural communities.

The extended blackout hours also have a negative impact on the ability of the police to effectively patrol communities and respond to instances of criminal activity.

The cell phone networks also collapse under these extended blackout hours which prevent people from calling the SAPS for help, or to call for emergency medical services.

The primary function of government is to empower people to make use of their freedom and ensure that people are not deprived of their rights and freedoms.

Eskom’s rolling blackouts is a result of ANC looting and poor governance. Not only are millions of people are left in the dark, but these rolling blackouts are having a negative impact on the provision of other basics, such as water supply, sewerage works, education, health and policing services. Some towns, like Vryburg, run out of water as a result of Eskom’s rolling blackouts.

However, for years now the failing ANC government has neglected the SAPS, much like they have neglected Eskom.

We have seen the politicisation of the senior management of both the SAPS and Eskom.

At the SAPS we have seen a reduction in training, a decrease in adequate resources made available, and the political interference in the appointment of provincial and national police commissioners, as well as the promotion of SAPS officials based on the allegiance to the ANC rather than their capability to contribute to effective policing.

At Eskom, we have seen successive board members and senior management being appointed based on their allegiance to the failing ANC. We have seen how Eskom has pushed out skilled personnel and replace them with incompetent and criminally inclined ANC cadres. We have seen how contracts were awarded to Gupta companies and to the ANC’s Chancellor House, looting billions from Eskom meant to ensure sustainable electricity generation and distribution. And year on year Eskom has increased the price of electricity robbing ordinary South Africans from their hard-earned money, yet Eskom has failed to ensure that the lights stay on.

Without reliable electricity supply, we will not win the fight against crime. Without a professionally trained, well-equipped and well-resourced SAPS, we will not win the fight against crime.

It is unfortunate that Mahikeng, like the rest of North West, continue to experience high crime rates, people live in constant fear as their houses are broken into, while car break-ins and hijackings have become a common occurrence. Crimes such as common assault, robbery and theft, burglary, sexual assault and drug-related crimes have also been on a steady increase.

Under normal circumstances these crimes are often reported to the police station, but end up not being attended to, or there is no response to the progress of the cases. Under Eskom’s blackouts, criminals enjoy the freedom to terrorise law-abiding citizens without fear.

Today, the Democratic Alliance stand with all victims of crime in North West, and we send our condolences to those who have lost family members due to crime. We also stand with all those victims who suffered avoidable deaths but were unable to access emergency medical care as a result of Eskom’s blackouts in their homes and in hospitals.

The DA calls for the immediate implementation of emergency measures by the SAPS under Eskom’s rolling blackouts to ensure that safety and security of people’s lives and property in North West.

We further call for the reintroduction of specialised crime fighting units such as rural safety units, murder and robbery units, anti-gang units, child protection units and sexual violence units.

In addition, we call on the SAPS to release all available additional resources to fight crime under Eskom’s scheduled blackouts, including the recall of police officers on leave to ensure maximum capacity to fight crime.

We have gathered here today to express the urgent need for honest and professional police service.

We recognise that the SAPS is losing the fight to tackle crime, as it is riddled with corruption and mismanagement.

The DA has a plan to make our police service honest, professional and effective.

The DA in government will retrain police officers so that they can serve and protect people with pride. We will also ensure that the SAPS are well-resourced and well-equipped to fight crime.

The DA in government will recruit people with a passion for policing. We will ensure that law and order are maintained through properly trained police officers that will conduct effective investigations to ensure effective arrests, prosecution and the conviction of criminals.

The DA also has a plan to fix Eskom. The DA in government will:

- Privatise the generation entities of Eskom, allowing a diverse range of energy to enter the grid, increasing competition and lowering costs;

- Instruct Eskom to immediately freeze the build on the last two outstanding units at Kusile, and bring on more Independent Power Producers to the grid.

- Reaffirm Eskom’s engineering and maintenance employees as an “essential service” that cannot enter into strike action;

- Install major smart meters for municipalities to force municipalities to collect revenue timeously; and

- Allow well-functioning metros to source energy directly from independent energy suppliers.

While we are calling for emergency measures to keep the lights on to fight crime, both the SAPS and Eskom is in need of deep reform. Only the DA has the policies and political will to fix South Africa.

On 8 May 2019, the people have a choice to make between a failed country under the ANC characterised by misery and lawlessness, or a country under a DA government where everyone is safe and secure, the rule of law is upheld, services are delivered and there is a job in every home. Vote DA to save South Africa. Vote DA to build One South Africa for All.

Issued by Joe McGluwa, DA North West Premier Candidate, 29 March 2019