‘Enough is enough’: Ramaphosa declares war on gangsters, extortionists and construction mafia

• An agreement was reached to send more troops to the field to combat crime in the Western Cape.
• Ramaphosa promised to tackle the challenges of gangsterism, extortionists and the construction mafia.
• He said similar agreements would be introduced in other provinces and metropolitan areas.

President Cyril Ramaphosa said South Africans are tired of living in fear of criminals terrorising communities.

Ramaphosa delivered his keynote speech on Friday after the national government, the Western Cape government and the City of Cape Town signed an agreement to increase the number of police officers in a bid to reduce crime in the province.

He called it a “historic moment” where we are taking decisive action to combat crime here in Cape Town. Cape Town has become the capital of crime, gang violence, murder and other criminal activities, including drug trafficking and abuse.

“Our people are fed up with criminals terrorizing communities. By signing this cooperation agreement, we are saying enough is enough.

“The people of Cape Town are tired of gangsters” (the people of Cape Town are tired of gangsters).

“What this means is that we are waging a war against the construction mafia, against gangsters, we are going to go after you and make sure you are brought to justice. Gangsters are tearing communities apart.”

Ramaphosa said parents, teachers and students were fed up with criminals causing chaos in schools and bringing weapons and drugs into classrooms.

“They also say that their lives as youths are being wasted on tik, nyaope, whoonga, buttons and cocaine, and many other drugs. They no longer want these things to be sold,” he said.

“The national police are at the forefront of the fight against crime. They are determined to reclaim the streets from criminals.”

The president said the intention was to expand the agreement to other provinces and metropolitan areas.

“Under this agreement, we will share technology and resources, and we will take a serious approach to crime. This will ensure that we are one step ahead of criminals,” he said.

The signing of the memorandum comes at a crucial moment after the publication of national crime statistics.

The Western Cape saw the largest increase in murders in the first half of the year.

In the first three months of the year, the province saw an increase of 27.5%.

There was a 21% increase between April and June.

A quarter of all murders in the country in the first three months of the year occurred in Gauteng, 22% in KwaZulu-Natal and 17% in the Western Cape.

Ramaphosa said: “We want to give a clear warning to the criminals; we are coming after you. We, as the government of national unity, are coming after you. We have made crime a priority and we are going to ensure that South Africa becomes a safe place,” he said.

The president promised to crack down on the illegal trade in firearms.

Western Cape Premier Alan Winde said: “For me, as we enter this seventh administration, it is time for less talk and more action. We must work together as a government to combat crime. The latest crime statistics are sobering and devastating, and show that criminals must be tackled. This agreement is a great signal to criminals that we want to put an end to this scourge of crime.”

Police Minister Senzo Mchunu said the Western Cape recorded the largest increase in murder cases.

“This is indeed a concern, and we are confident that we will overcome it. Today’s agreement is not just a document, it is a commitment – ​​and not just a paper exercise, but a commitment to commit to an action plan to create a safer city and province.

“I am confident that through our collective efforts we will achieve great things and create a future where every resident of Cape Town and the Western Cape feels safe, protected and valued,” he said.