ActionSA president Herman Mashaba says his party has a plan to end crime and lawlessness through a “stronger and better independent police service”.
Mashaba, who on Wednesday presented his six-point-plan to end crime during a media briefing outside the Primrose Police Station, said South African citizens have a right to a crime-free society.
He said his party was not apologetic about its tough stance against crime and criminals who act with impunity due to the level of lawlessness that has characterised the country’s failure to deal with the scourge.
“We will not tolerate a society where criminals act with impunity while law-abiding citizens live in fear. Our solutions to restore the rule of law seek not only to reform policing and prosecutions themselves but also aim to address the socio-political drivers of crime, such as hunger and poverty, by growing the economy and creating jobs,” he said.
The party’s plan in restoring the rule of law in the country included building a stronger and independent police service, reintroducing specialised policing units, reforming correctional service to stamp out corruption and restore order, ensuring that a life in prison means a life in prison, professionalising the NPA, and reintroducing the Scorpions and lastly, securing the country’s borders in a bid to stop the inflow of illicit goods.
“Our plans to combat crime will ensure that respect for the rule of law is entrenched at all levels of society. We will establish a South Africa where people can feel safe in their homes and communities,” he said.
On a stronger and independent police force, Mashaba said there was a need to act tough on criminals through visible policing while reducing billions wasted on VIP protection of politicians.
“Our police force plays a vital role in combating crime and protecting those who call South Africa home. The mere presence of the police in vulnerable communities acts as a powerful deterrent to crime. For this reason, we will reduce the government’s almost R4 billion expenditure on VIP protection and reallocate these funds towards crime prevention and visible policing. It is unjust that politicians have access to VIP protection services, while ordinary South Africans live in fear of criminality every day,” he said.
When it comes to professionalisation of the police force, Mashaba said efforts should be made to make policing an attractive career to ensure that it attracted the right kind of people.
“We will launch a recruitment drive to expand the police service and establish it as a desirable career opportunity. This will ensure that talented and committed people serve as officers of the law. We will help create a pathway to permanent employment for the almost 4 000 police reservists in the country who, in some cases, have waited almost 20 years for permanent employment,” he said.
He said this will be done through proper vetting of prospective applicants ensuring merit.
“Recruitment and vetting practices will be improved to ensure that police officers are appointed based on merit, and their competence to serve.
“Under an ActionSA government, police officers will be required to maintain a high level of professional performance. We will enforce strict weapon safety standards for all law enforcement officers to increase accountability as well as public safety,“ he added.
Mashaba said law enforcement and effective policing was enshrined in the country’s Constitution and should be a right that South Africans were able to realise on a daily basis, adding that there should be a specialised policing unit to deal with various types of crimes.
“When I grew up, units like the Brixton Police specialised unit for murder were highly effective in combating crime. Everyone feared the unit and knew that when the unit tackled a crime, it would be solved. But, under the ruling party, these units were disastrously dissolved - leading to the exponential rise in crime we have seen. This is why an ActionSA government would urgently reintroduce specialised policing units in order for us to turn the tide on crime in South Africa,” he said.
The Star