Community Safety: Minister of Police turns back on police members, communities

17 April 2020  

Appeals from thousands of concerned community members to Bheki Cele, the Minister of Police, that local safety structures like neighbourhood watches and community policing forums – among which patrols – should be resumed during the lockdown continue to fall on deaf ears.

AfriForum is very concerned about the Minister’s lackadaisical attitude towards community safety structures in the country and the enormous contribution that these make to the promotion of community safety. 

“AfriForum’s petition to allow neighbourhood, farm and plot watches to keep their communities safe has already been signed by more than 15 000 people. It seems that the Minister accepts that the ban on alcohol presents the solution to the curbing of crime. It isn’t a sensible, sustainable or proactive solution to combat crime successfully, whereas this is the case with local safety structures,” says Ian Cameron, AfriForum’s Head of Community Safety.

“Neighbourhood, farm and plot watches have never hesitated to support the police and are essential support functions in the successful curbing of crime in communities. Yet the Police Minister turns his back on these structures and therefore on communities and local police members who rely on these structures,” argues Cameron.

AfriForum will never turn its back on communities and will provide the necessary support to communities during the lockdown within the framework of the law. The organisation has already launched various proactive projects – among which an extensive dissemination of hand sanitisers – to law-enforcing authorities, among other. 

Issued by Hesti Steenkamp, Media Relations Officer, AfriForum, 17 April 2020