The safety of Gauteng residents remains in danger as horrific acts of violence like yesterday’s brutal killing of 12 people and the wounding of eight others in a mass shooting at the Jumpers Informal Settlement in Cleaveland, Johannesburg, persist. Such incidents remind us of the escalating crime crisis and expose the failure by law enforcement to provide residents with the safety and security they deserve.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng calls on Premier Panyaza Lesufi to intervene and ensure that there is improved police visibility in our communities to deter criminals and keep residents safe. We further urge the investigating officers to work towards identifying the motive behind this attack and determine whether it was a targeted hit or a random act of violence and ensure that those responsible are held accountable.
We must not permit Gauteng residents to live in constant fear of criminals descending on their homes under the cover of darkness and carrying out brutal attacks. Such barbarity has no place in our province and must not be allowed to take root.
The DA has long called on Premier Lesufi to ensure that our police stations are properly resourced and staffed with enough officers on the ground to protect our communities. We have also urged him to support community patrollers, who play a critical role in assisting law enforcement and improving community safety. He is yet to act on both.
Such behaviour is unacceptable and reflects a concerning lack of urgency in addressing the safety concerns of our communities. How many more lives must we lose before we take decisive action?
We extend our deepest condolences to the families of those who tragically lost their lives and wish a speedy recovery to those injured in this horrific attack.
The DA is the only party that is committed to making communities safer for all Gauteng residents. A DA-led Gauteng government will prioritise police visibility, properly resource police stations, and support community patrollers to safeguard our people.