KwaZulu-Natal Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube has called on the police to leave no stone unturned to catch the attackers and killers of councillors in the province.
The call follows the recent attack of National Freedom Party (NFP) councillor Mphathiseni Manqele from Ward 4 in KwaNongoma, who was attacked by a suspected hitman.
The suspect was apprehended by the community who handed him over to the police.
Manqele’s attack was followed hot on the heels by the murder of an African National Congress (ANC) Msunduzi Local Municipality Councillor, Mabhungu Mkhize, who was killed last Friday.
Speaking at the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature hybrid sitting on Thursday, Dube-Ncube said drastic measures need to be taken to curb the murder and attack of councillors in the province.
“The killings of councillors are senseless and barbaric, and have no place in our society. As government [we] are not going to tolerate such violence and will do all in our power to bring the perpetrators to justice.
“We call on the police to work swiftly so that the perpetrators are brought to justice. We also urge the communities to work with law enforcement authorities to prevent such crimes from happening,” Dube-Ncube said.
Dube-Ncube has conveyed condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of Mkhize, and wished Manqele a speedy recovery.
Multi-stakeholder crime summit
Giving an update on the outcomes of the multi-stakeholder crime summit, held on Tuesday to discuss crime fighting strategies, Dube-Ncube reported that various crime issues were discussed, with participants highlighting how crime chase away investors from the province.
The summit, which was convened by the Department of Community Safety and Liaison, in collaboration with the Office of the Premier, was attended by representatives from government, the private security sector, civil society, and religious organisations.
Dube-Ncube said, the summit participants also considered ways to improve community safety and to build trust between the police and the public.
The summit was a follow-up on the commitments made during the State of the Province Address, where provincial government pledged that each provincial department will set aside R10 million, earmarked to curb and conquer crime in the province.
“One of the key collaborative areas with the private security sector emphasising the effective use of the Community Policing Forum (CPF) as a pivotal link between the community and the police, involving the KwaZulu-Natal Crime Prevention Association (KZN CCPA), an organisation formed by amalgamating community-initiated associations with a shared goal of combating crime, and also to use technology used by the private security sector,” Dube-Ncube said.
Condolences to Gauteng fire victims' families
Meanwhile, Dube-Ncube has send her deepest condolences to the people of Gauteng for the tragic fire that engulfed a Johannesburg building in the early hours of the morning, and reported to have claimed 73 lives with several others injured.
“We are saddened and we will continue to pray for all the survivors and wish them a speedy recovery,” the Premier said. – SAnews.gov.za
