GEORGE NEWS - The Garden Route district commissioner Major-General Norman Modishana and his management had a meet-and-greet session with Garden Route Mayor Memory Booysen, the mayoral committee and senior management of the district municipality (GRDM).
The provincial commander of the Hawks, Major-General Mathipa Makgato and his delegation, including Brigadier Mushavhaduvha Ramovha accompanied the district commissioner and both unpacked their mandate and plans to fight crime.
GRDM municipal manager Monde Stratu said the municipality will support SAPS to prevent and combat crime in the area.
It will avail its resources to SAPS, such as the Disaster Management Centre, to assist in the fight of crime. Stratus mentioned a few security concerns being raised by local communities.
One is the issue of the operating of liquor outlets in the area and he specifically mentioned the by-laws in relation to the operation and access times of liquor outlets, including access to liquor by the youth.
Modishana, who was appointed on 1 June, said policing should be approached on a multi-disciplinary level. He admitted that the district has challenges.
“We must not lose sight and continue to go forward, because when the community looks at us as government structures, we want them to have confidence in us, so that they feel free and safe at the same time."
The issue of the country-wide pandemic, gender-based violence (GBV), was also discussed and the various forms of crimes that relate to it, such as rapes, assaults, murders, etc. “As a district, we are taking GBV seriously and it will be dealt with to a level where it can be managed and minimised. I look forward to working with all the stakeholders."
Makgato from the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), also known as the Hawks, urged the municipality to assist and cooperate with them, whether with investigation or awareness campaigns that will be rolled out in the near future.
After the formal discussions, disaster management chief Gerhard Otto led a walk-through of the municipality’s Disaster Management Centre which was built approximately 15 years ago.
Various emergency services link up with SAPS from the centre, especially when there are disasters in the region and the Joint Operations Centre is activated.
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