Police Minister Demands Stronger Business Alliance to Combat Crime Crisis

South Africa’s Police Minister Senzo Mchunu has issued a rallying cry for a stronger, action-driven partnership between the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the private sector, warning that the country’s crime epidemic requires urgent collaboration.

Speaking at the Ministerial Business Partnership Dinner, Mchunu stressed that talk must translate into tangible results, echoing President Cyril Ramaphosa’s 2023 directive for SAPS to forge deeper ties with business.

A Call for Action, Not Just Words

“We are not here just to share a meal,” Mchunu declared. “We are here to recommit to a shared fight against crime and corruption.”

His speech highlighted South Africa’s grim crime statistics:

• 43% of murders involve illegal firearms.
• Rising kidnappings, extortion, and stock theft.
• Transnational drug syndicates expanding their reach.
• Gender-based violence (GBV) remains a national crisis, underscored by the recent rape and murder of an eight-day-old baby by her father.

Key Strategies in the Crime Fight

Mchunu outlined SAPS’s Integrated Crime and Violence Prevention Strategy, which relies on public-private collaboration to:
Enhance investigative capacity
Provide critical resources (tech, infrastructure, funding)
Modernize policing (automated stations, digital docket systems)

Business has already stepped up, supporting:

• Upgrades to forensic labs (faster DNA processing).
• A pilot program to automate five police stations (with plans for nationwide rollout).

No More “Talk Shops” – Accountability is Key

To ensure progress, a SAPS/Business Stakeholder Forum will monitor commitments. Meanwhile, a three-day National Policing Summit will shape the future of law enforcement.

Mchunu’s final challenge:
“It’s easy to commit in words. Harder in action. We need concrete plans, measurable results, and shared accountability.”

{Source Defence Web}

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