Govt supports festive season anti-crime campaign

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Pretoria - Government has thrown its weight behind the Police Ministry's campaign to beef up crime fighting over the festive season.

"The meeting expressed full support for the initiative by the SAPS to launch the Festive Season Campaign that is aimed at dealing decisively with all forms of crime during the festive season," government spokesperson Themba Maseko told media on Thursday, after an ordinary Cabinet meeting.

The meeting also called on the public to be vigilant and to work with the law enforcement agencies to root out crime.

Launching the campaign last week, Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa warned criminals that police officers would be at every corner and would tackle them head-on.

Minister Mthethwa said police would conduct a number of "high density operations" while still maintaining visibility at hotspots in the coming weeks. These operations are expected to focus on house and business robberies, cash-in-transit heists, hijackings and ATM attacks.

Crimes like assault, murder, rape and crimes against women and children would also be looked at as police intensify social crime prevention operations.

The police will be supported by Home Affairs, the South African Revenue Services and Transport in its festive season operations.