SACP: Intensify crime fight

2007-12-31 19:58

Johannesburg - Communities should heed the newly elected ANC President Jacob Zuma's call to use 2008 as the year to intensify the fight against crime, the South African Communist Party (SACP) said on Monday.

"All South Africans, especially the working class, should use the year 2008 as a launching pad to reclaim our streets from criminals and criminality," the party said in a statement.

Reminding South Africans about Zuma's closing address at the 52nd National Conference where the newly elected ANC President emphasised the need to rebuild street committees to fight crime, the SACP said it was important for society to unite against crime.

"It is only united action at street and community level that will free us from the scourge of criminality.

"We call upon all South Africans to embrace the call for street-level and community mobilisation to fight crime and build safer communities," the party said.

However, the call for communities to rally behind the fight against crime should not be seen as an attempt to do away with community policing forums (CPFs).

"The street committees must, however, not be seen as substitutes to community policing forums (CPFs), but must act to strengthen and consolidate these, as well as perform other broader community development tasks.

"Our message is simply that fighting crime should not be seen as the sole responsibility of government, nor should it be reduced to a technocratic and bureaucratic task," the party said.

- SAPA