Ramaphosa vows to step up efforts to deal with criminality

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ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa has vowed to step up efforts to deal with criminality in the country. Recently, the country has been rocked by a spade of contract killings, kidnappings and construction mafia sagas compounded by accusation of some police allegedly working with the criminal networks.

Residents in different Tshwane townships like Soshanguve, Mamelodi and Atteridgeville have been complaining about killings in their area.

But speaking on the sidelines of his election campaign in Atteridgeville, outside Pretoria, earlier today, Ramaphosa says his administration is on top of the situation.

“We are increasing the number of police so that there can be more visible policing around the country and where there is visible policing, we are able to address the challenges of crime. And we are also strengthening our Community Policing Forums and where they are active, we also find that the issue of criminality is also going down. And we are going to address the issue of criminality in our country just as we are addressing the issue of load shedding, just as we are addressing the issue of our ports and harbours. So, all the many challenges that we face are being addressed in a determined manner as the country moves forward,” says Ramaphosa.

Meanwhile, Ramaphosa has paid tribute to the late former Constitutional Court Justice Yvonne Mokgoro. She was part of the inaugural judges of the apex court and its first black woman judge at the dawn of democracy in 1994.

Ramaphsoa says she inspired a lot of young women who aspired to become judges. He says Justice Mokgoro was one of the pathfinders of the country’s judiciary.

“We were very saddened by the death of Justice Yvonne Mokgoro. She is one of the pioneers in our country in terms of the judiciary. We remember her fondly and with great sadness because she served this country with a great deal of diligence in the bench and she was also an inspiration to many women and black women who are today on the bench and those who are aspiring to be judges. So, she will be greatly missed because she demonstrated great wisdom and sharpness of mind and she was also one of our legal eagles,” he adds.