KZN leads the country in murders, says MEC

KwaZulu-Natal community safety MEC Mxolisi Kaunda has called for a united front against crime. He was speaking at a provincial crime summit in Durban on Tuesday.

“It is a matter of public record that our country is facing a huge challenge of escalating crime and, as a caring government, we cannot sit back and fold our arms when criminals are terrorising our communities,” he said.

Kaunda said that the province had been plagued by crime.

“If you talk about murders, KwaZulu-Natal is leading in the country. From time to time, the province experiences political-related murders, taxi violence, hostel conflicts, faction fights in traditional communities, gender-based violence, stock theft, violent public protests and cross-border crime,” he said.

“We need to build positive societal attitudes and values by increasing the strength, capacity and resilience of individuals, families and communities in relation to the known risk factors that make communities unsafe.”

The state of crime, he said, would be a point of concern as the province moved closer to the 2019 general elections.

“It is important that we also put our heads together on how we are going to create a conducive environment for peaceful, free and fair elections,” he said.

The summit, which has drawn in various arms of law enforcement, is expected to end on Tuesday.