AfriForum calls on communities to strengthen safety structures and get organised

22 February 2023  

The civil rights organisation AfriForum has called on communities to continue building and improving civilian safety structures such as neighbourhood watches.

This follows the release of the latest crime statistics by the Minister of Police, Bheki Cele. According to the statistics, there has been an increase in violent crime including murder, assault and robberies between October 2022 and December 2022.

Cele himself admitted that the statistics don’t paint an overall positive picture of the crime situation in South Africa. According to AfriForum, this is not surprising, seeing as the police have themselves admitted that they cannot fulfil their mandate

Cele also admitted that the police cannot combat crime by themselves and that communities need to get more involved in the fight against crime.

“This is an ironic comment by the minister seeing as AfriForum has been urging communities to do exactly this for years because of the police’s failures. It is very clear that the SAPS cannot do their job effectively,” says Jacques Broodryk, AfriForum’s spokesperson for Community Safety.

“AfriForum has 160 neighbourhood and farm watch structures countrywide and we’d like to urge more members of the public to find the closest one to them and get involved. The safety of your community is in your own hands,” concludes Broodryk.

Join your nearest AfriForum neighbourhood watch by visiting www.afriforumbuurtwag.co.za.

Issued by Jacques Broodryk, Spokesperson: Community Safety, AfriForum, 22 February 2023