Gauteng a gangster's paradise - Petros

2012-08-01 17:44

Gauteng police commissioner Mzwandile Petros (File, Sapa)

Johannesburg - Gauteng police commissioner Mzwandile Petros on Wednesday admitted the province was labelled as a "gangster's paradise".

"I was fascinated by the beauty of the walls of Gauteng because the walls are 5m high instead of 2m high," he said during an interview on Talk Radio on 702.

"Something is not right. The people are living in fear."

He said the term "gangster's paradise" was given by the people of Gauteng themselves and this fear was justified.

Corrupt cops

He recalled in the interview when he moved to Gauteng from the Western Cape in 2010 to take up the post as provincial commissioner.

The interview was on corruption and the role of civil society.

Petros said it became a problem when those who were charged with upholding the law were themselves corrupt.

"We are so happy we are doing it [arresting corrupt officers] ourselves. [Police] want to be seen dealing with these things themselves."

He said in this year alone 120 police officers in Gauteng had been dismissed, and 171 last year.

Positive about lower Gauteng crime stats

When asked by 702 station manager Yusuf Abramjee if the war on corruption and crime was being won, Petros said arrests were made and battles were being won, but he could not lie and say the war was won.

"We will never define before-hand what it will look like when it's fixed."

He was positive that when the crime statistic figures were released in September, it would reveal that Gauteng's figures had dropped.

However, he added: "It is not about the numbers. How do the people feel on the ground?"

Crime in Gauteng made up a large portion of the national crime statistic.

"If there is hope in Gauteng, there is hope in the country."

- SAPA