Anti-crime crusade focuses on Limpopo crime hotspots

Sunday, July 24, 2011

Musina- A two-day anti-crime crusade kicks off in Limpopo on Monday.

Provincial safety, security and liaison MEC George Phadagi will lead the crusade, which will start in Musina and then go to Thohoyandou and Louis Trichardt on Tuesday.

"The crusade will take the form of consultative sessions and site visits," said department spokesman Molebatsi Masedi.

He said the MEC will visit the Beit Bridge border post in Musina, which is one of nine ports of entry in the province and the busiest in the country, to address issues such as cigarette smuggling and illegal border crossings.

He said there was also a gang of undocumented foreign nationals operating along the border.
The MEC will also inspect both the South African and Zimbabwean sides of the border post to determine the quality of law enforcement.

The visit will also cover the Beit Bridge taxi rank and refugee shelter.

On Tuesday, Phadagi will visit Thohoyandou police station, the Kutama Sinthumule Maximum Security Prison and the Manini Place of Safety for children in Louis Trichardt.

"The Thohoyandou police station was, in the past identified as one of the Presidential Lead Projects with the benefit of more resources being allocated to it to enhance its crime prevention and fighting capacities.

"Unfortunately, this intervention hasn't translated into improved policing or crime statistics going down," said Masedi.

Masedi said the MEC would also rally for community support and defence of police officers following attacks, some of which have resulted in a few fatalities in the province.

"This comes in the background of the recent national summit against police killings and the recent killing of an officer in Groblersdal," he said.

He added that police minister Nathi Mthethwa would do a follow-up visit in August.

"Mthethwa will be in Musina as part of his public participation programme in crime hotspots throughout the country. He will visit Tzaneen in October as part of his public outreach programme," said Masedi.