Gauteng DA says Lesufi has lost fight against crime

A lack of resources is crippling crime-fighting efforts in Gauteng and has reached a crisis level, DA leader in Gauteng Solly Msimang says.

He says the grave shortage of tools of trade for police officers, like vehicles, is contributing to the high levels of crime in the province. 

On Wednesday, Msimang led a picket outside the offices of Gauteng premier Panyaza Lesufi, saying it was clear he has lost the fight against crime in the province.  

Msimang said crime was out of control in Gauteng and that during oversight visits to police stations the party found that they were not receiving the necessary support.   

After criss-crossing the province to assess the severity of crime and its impact on residents as part of its anti-crime campaign, it had come face-to-face with challenges and hardships faced by police.

“Akasia police station in Pretoria North is a glaring example of neglect by the SA Police Service (SAPS), which is directly responsible for SAPS resourcing. The station is supposed to have 48 vehicles, but has 24 of which only 13 are operational. Only five police vehicles are available for visible policing to cover about 150 square kilometres.”

Msimang said the critical shortage of vehicles and holding cells was common at most police stations, many of which were in an “appalling situation”. 

“Officers must work in facilities with poor sewage systems, leaking roofs and dilapidated bathrooms. In some stations, the electricity supply is unreliable and there are no functioning telephone lines,” he said.

There were also serious staffing challenges at most police stations, which had reached crisis level.

“At the Midrand police station, for instance, detectives are overwhelmed with heavy workloads, making it nearly impossible to provide residents with the effective services they deserve.”

Msimang said Lesufi needed to accept he had failed to address the challenges facing policing in Gauteng.

“His introduction of hi-tech crime-fighting tools, such as CCTV cameras and drones, many of which are not even operational, has not yielded any results. Meanwhile, the less said about the Gauteng crime wardens, the better. They are always missing in action,” Msimang said. 

Responding to the DA's picket, Lesufi's office lashed out at the party and labelled its picket as “crying at the wrong funeral” and a blatant act of political opportunism.

“Today, we are witnessing an organisation that is confused about its role and suffers from an identity crisis. Knowing full well that the SAPS is a national competence and that matters of resourcing should be raised and debated within the government of national unity, of which the DA is a member. They have chosen the easy option of picketing outside the office of the premier which has no mandate over the SAPS.”

Lesufi's office highlighted some of their successes, which they said included the province recording a 7.9% decrease in crime, according to statistics released by Gauteng police commissioner, Lt-Gen Tommy Mthombeni.

On its crime-fighting efforts, Lesufi's office said CCTV cameras had been installed in previously unpoliced communities, and 700 vehicles donated to the SAPS.

“We have provided two helicopters to the SAPS, making Gauteng the only province to have established its own air wing.” 

However, Msimang said that it is time for Lesufi to stop deflecting responsibility and blaming his national counterparts for everything that goes wrong.

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