Safer Festive Season Programme Shows Results

Minister Ramatlakane and Provincial Commissioner Mzwandile Petros released the results of the 2004/5 Safer Festive Season campaign which showed that as a result of this initiative under the Bambanani Against crime campaign and a partnership with the South African Police, the city police and other law enforcement agencies, serious violent crime have declined throughout the Western Cape during December 2004/5 compared to December 2003/4.

"As a result of our success with this campaign in the last two festive seasons (2003/4 and 2004/5), crime such as murder, dropped by 34 % in 41 targeted stations during the 2003 festive season and with the 2004/5 festive season we targeted 75 areas and even there, we managed to bring down crime, especially murder by 23 % in those areas and by 14 % provincially".

"Therefore I see no reason why we should not extend this campaign to all the 168 stations. Doing that we will work more smarter with the resources deployment in line with crime pattern analysis.

"In taking forward the Bambanani Against Crime programme in the coming period, we would focus at local level where communities would own the Bambanani programme in fighting crime at street level."

Minister Ramatlakane has also thanked the volunteers who under the Bambanani Against Crime campaign, made a huge impact that led to a reduction of crime as a result of their visibility with the police on the beaches, trains, on the streets, in tourist attraction places. This past festive season, 4 000 Bambanani Neighbourhood Watch volunteers were deployed to work in partnership with the police.

In realising the report on the outcome of the Safer Festive Season anti-crime campaign, Minister Ramatlakane disclosed that:

"Crime such as murder has in the Western Cape has dropped by 14 %, attempted murder dropped by 17%.

"And when we look at priority stations like Khayelitsha, Nyanga, Mitchell's Plain, Kuilsriver, and Guguletu (which contribute more than 75 % of contact crime) crime such as murder has declined by 23; 4%, attempted murder by 15%,

Minister Ramatlakane has added that the report shows that drug related crimes have positively increased by 54,6 % in the East Metropole, by 54,9 in the West Metropole, 80.7% in the Southern Cape and with 84,3% in the Boland.

"The increase of drug related crimes, is a positive sign because this indicates that it is as a result of the police led operations which resulted in busts, confiscations and arrests."

Provincial Commissioner Mzwandile Petros added that police would now also intensify curbing of crime in rural areas and in farms.

Minister Ramatlakane also added that 400 recently graduated police officers, destined for the rail safety, are still undergoing field training in stations.

"They are being deployed on the field by June they will begin their work on the trains. In the meantime we do have a deployment of police officers working on trains and being complimented by 704 Bambanani Neighbourhood Watch volunteers under the government’s flagship of the Expanded Public Works Programme.

ISSUED BY:
Ministry of Community of Community Safety
7 Wale Street
1st Floor
Cape Town

DIRECT ENQUIRIES TO:
Makhaya Mani
Media Liaison Officer
Ministry of Community Safety
Western Cape
Tel; 021 483 3873
Cell: 082 780 4493
Email: mmanie@pgwc.gov.za