Mbeki boosts war on crime
Matome Sebelebele
30 September 2004
President Thabo Mbeki began his three-day visit to Mpumalanga on Thursday by presenting the Vosman Police Station in Witbank with 30 bicycles, helmets, reflector jackets and three cars to strengthen the town's offensive against criminals.
The equipment will assist in the fight against crime in Vosman, a sprawling township outside Witbank along the N4 highway, founded in 1988 as an informal settlement for migrant labourers in neighbouring mines and other homeless people.
Police say the area has over the years seen an increased number of "contact crimes" especially murder and assaults.
Policemen at the station said they welcomed the resources donated by the President, as that would help them in covering far-flung areas that are difficult to police on foot patrol.
Speaking after inspecting the police station, Mbeki urged the community to help the police combat crime in the area.
"Fighting crime is not only the
responsibility of the police, reservists and Community Policing Forum. There are also other issues such as job creation and social development that need to be attended to," he said.
He said government came to the area to listen to the community's concerns, and added that the equipment was "a good beginning" to ensure that government won the war against crime.
The community also vowed to work with the authorities in fighting crime. "We are now signing a people's contract to make Vosman a safer and secure area to live in...the president will never fail you," said a member of the community policing forum.
Mbeki also visited a housing project at Emalahleni, which he hailed as one of the best public-private partnerships in housing.
The project currently has 682 houses already occupied as part of a National Presidential Lead Project on rental housing.
The project is aimed at establishing affordable mass housing delivery and alternative forms of tenure
especially rental housing.
Mbeki also visited water reticulation and road projects in Middleburg before proceeding to a community imbizo in Ogies.
Mbeki is visiting Mpumalanga from Thursday to Saturday as part of government's Imbizo programme aimed at promoting interactive governance.
During the visit the President will visit a number of development projects, interact with the people and listen to their views about government's implementation of its Programme of Action.
Imbizo also provides an opportunity for communities to demonstrate practical partnerships with government in the quest for a better life. The theme of the Imbizo is "Building a people's contract to build a better South Africa and a better world".
Mbeki's visit follows similar ones to Limpopo, Eastern Cape, Free State, North West, Gauteng, Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.
Source: BuaNews
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