Naidoo: Politicians must defuse protests

2011-07-07 13:19

Johannesburg - Politicians and not the police should be sent to defuse service delivery protests, former cabinet minister Jay Naidoo said on Thursday.

"Politicians must go and speak to the people. The protest is a failed delivery issue and political in nature," he said at Crime Line's fourth anniversary celebrations in Krugersdorp.

Naidoo said communities got angry when their situations were not improved and they saw politicians living the high life. They protested when they suspected fraud or corruption.

He said people were angered even more when, while their situation remained the same, they saw state institutions spend a lot of money on the moving of their headquarters.

Naidoo said communities had lost faith in the police and were resorting to mob justice.

Public Protector advocate Thuli Madonsela said whistleblowing remained an important part of the fight against crime.

"Ten percent of fraud and corruption are detected during auditing. The rest is detected through whistleblowing," she said.

Madonsela and Naidoo were a part of a panel discussing crime and corruption at the Crime Line event.

Madonsela has come under fire this week with a media report on her imminent arrest amid allegations of fraud.

She had denied the claims and Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa has denied knowledge of plans to arrest her.
 

- SAPA