Durban — The DA in KwaZulu-Natal has called for the Department of Community Safety and Liaison MEC Sipho Hlomuka to be removed as “no one is safe in the province”.
The DA’s call comes after 17 people were shot dead in five separate shooting incidents in the province in less than 24 hours.
DA KZN spokesperson on community safety and liaison Sharon Hoosen said the DA in KZN calls for Hlomuka’s removal after bloody days in the province.
She said the killings include the deaths of 10 family members and a child who was fatally shot while walking to school on a public road.
“Crime continues unabated in KZN. It has become a war zone. People are dying every day and no one is safe, yet nothing changes,” Hoosen said.
She said that last week, Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube, in her budget address, promised KZN residents that the government would not surrender to criminals.
Dube-Ncube also announced that more than R130 million had been allocated to crime-fighting, Hoosen said.
“The question is: Where is the action plan for this? It certainly hasn’t been presented to KZN’s Community Safety and Liaison portfolio committee. The premier’s hollow words are more empty promises from an ANC government which cannot follow through when it comes to implementation,” Hoosen said.
“During the past 10 years, KZN’s Community Safety and Liaison department spent an estimated R2 billion, supposedly on fighting crime. Yet our people are worse off today.
“During the past financial year, it submitted more than 300 reports on crime but we have seen no reduction in this scourge. The department, under MEC Hlomuka, also spent R250m on reports and imbizos. What about fighting crime and capacitating SAPS?
“It is precisely due to a weak SAPS that criminals have free reign in KZN. With fewer than 18 000 officers and almost every SAPS station short-staffed, it is doomed for failure.”
Hoosen said the DA has consistently raised these issues, yet there is no attempt by the MEC to resolve them and ensure that KZN has a strong, capacitated, highly trained, and focused police force.
“Our province cannot afford to wait any longer for proper leadership and proper law enforcement. We cannot wait until the next quarterly crime report, and we cannot wait for more innocent people to die. This MEC must be removed,” Hoosen said.
“The DA is working hard to remove this ANC government from power and make KZN a safe and peaceful place to live. We will do what we have already done in other places where we govern, and reduce crime by implementing logical solutions and employing the right people for the job.”
The KZN Department of Community Safety has been approached for comment.
Meanwhile, a 27-year-old man is appearing in the Pietermaritzburg Magistrate’s Court on Monday.
“He has been charged with murder, attempted murder as well as illegal possession of firearms and ammunition,” said police spokesperson Brigadier Jay Naicker.
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