Govt, business 'to tackle crime together'
23 September 2009
The government is consolidating its partnership with business to reverse the high rate of business robberies and commercial crime in the country, says Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa.
"This partnership seeks to jointly improve our efforts through enhanced police and business crime prevention measures and improving alignment between the business sector and government," Mthethwa said on releasing the South African Police Service crime statistics for 2008/09 in Pretoria on Tuesday.
The statistics revealed a 41% year-on-year increase in business robberies, a 15% increase in car hijackings, and a 16% increase in commercial crime.
Mthethwa said government had over the last few months been engaging the business community to assess ways to work together to tackle crime affecting business in the country.
"A crucial activity in this alignment process is greater information-sharing," the minister said.
"We are confident that as we move forward with this partnership, which focuses on a government-directed and led strategy supported by business, the negative trends we are witnessing currently will be reversed."
The small business sector was most affected by crime in 2008/09, accounting for almost two-thirds of all business robberies.
"We are aware that certain factors make small businesses particularly vulnerable to such robberies," Mthethwa said. "We need also to look at what technological measures can be introduced to assist in reducing the risks incurred by small business."
Joint police/business initiatives focusing specifically on robberies at small businesses are currently being piloted in central Johannesburg and Tembisa, with plans to roll these out to other areas of the country.
Source: BuaNews
Facebook
Twitter
Mobile
RSS feeds
Newsletter
Weblines
