Ramamphosa to address WC crime fighting agreement signing ceremony

President Cyril Ramamphosa is today expected to deliver the keynote address at the signing of a cooperation agreement between police and the Western Cape government.

The aim of the agreement is for the two parties to collaborate in the fight against the high rate of crime in the province.

The signing of the agreement follows a meeting which the Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, Premier Alan Winde and Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis attended.

President Ramaphosa, earlier this month, stated that South Africans can beat crime if they work together. He made the statement in his weekly newsletter.

The President also praised the efforts made by the South African Police Services through Operation Shanela in dealing with crime hotspots and organised crime syndicates.

Operation Shanela, which has been described as a multi-sectoral collaboration, was launched last year and has led to the arrests of close to 700 000 suspects in the past year.

Ramaphosa said that South Africa’s crime-fighting has to evolve in response to new types of crime which include illicit mining, construction site extortion and kidnappings.

He added that the successes of Operation Shanela have shown the benefits of multi-sectoral collaboration and the value of specialised task teams.

Victims of Crime 2023/2024 Report I Housebreaking is the most prevalent crime, says Stats SA: