Wendy Dondolo|Published
ActionSA's Ekurhuleni mayoral candidate, Xolani Khumalo, has blamed inadequate police visibility, a lack of uniforms and unroadworthy vehicles in the metro police fleet for undermining law enforcement, warning that criminals operate with little fear of being caught.
Khumalo made the remarks during the IOL town hall debate involving Ekurhuleni mayoral candidates ahead of the local government elections, describing the metro as being in a serious crisis amid killings and other violent crimes.
“Ekurhuleni is in a serious crisis. And Ekurhuleni is in a damning position where we need to be very honest about it. Crime has become our daily reality,” Khumalo said.
Residents, particularly women and children, were increasingly vulnerable to crime, and the lack of visible law enforcement had contributed to fears about safety in communities.
“Our mothers and sisters are afraid to go to the shops. Our children cannot play in the streets,” he said.
Khumalo questions EMPD's operational capacity
Khumalo questioned the operational capacity of the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD), saying there were insufficient officers to ensure adequate police visibility across the metro.
He argued that weaknesses in the department had created an environment in which criminals believed they could commit offences without facing consequences.
“When you do a crime in Ekurhuleni, you'll never be caught. When you overspeed in Ekurhuleni, you'll never be caught. Police visibility is close to nothing,” he said.
Khumalo cited his experience driving along the N12 towards Daveyton on his way to church two nights before the debate, saying he had seen only South African Police Service (SAPS) officers on the freeway.
His subsequent engagement with the EMPD had raised questions about its shift system and the condition of its operational resources.
“They don't even have uniforms. The cars that they are driving, they are not even roadworthy,” Khumalo said.
He also alleged that numerous police vehicles were sitting in workshops instead of being deployed to communities to strengthen law enforcement.
Calls for technology and accountability
Khumalo called for more personnel and the introduction of technology to strengthen crime prevention, law enforcement and accountability across Ekurhuleni.
He argued that authorities needed better information about movement into and out of the metro as part of efforts to prevent and respond to crime.
“Everything that happens in Ekurhuleni, we should know. Who comes in Ekurhuleni and out of Ekurhuleni, we should know,” he said.
He said that the metro needed to strengthen its ability to detect crime and ensure that offenders were held accountable.
“So right now, it's just a free-pass land for each and every criminal that wants to commit a crime,” Khumalo said.
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