Joburg a crime-free zone? – Ramaphosa says he saw it himself

Cape Town – President Cyril Ramaphosa has praised Johannesburg’s visible policing, saying the city was crime-free during his recent late-night walkabout.

Speaking at the national police summit in Gauteng on Tuesday, Ramaphosa emphasised the importance of police presence in deterring crime.

Despite Johannesburg’s high crime rates, he commended the Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) for their patrols.

“I visited Johannesburg one night and found the Johannesburg metro police department [JMPD] was patrolling the city in the most impressive way.

“I realised that for us to have safe cities we need the presence of the police to deter criminality,” TimesLIVE quoted him as saying.

His visit last month, ahead of the G20 summit, highlighted concerns about the city’s state but also showcased effective policing.

“There are recurring problems across Gauteng. Some of these include governance failures, financial mismanagement, crumbling infrastructure, crime and lawlessness and unreliable service delivery,” Ramaphosa said at the time.

“Sometimes it’s good to be direct and say it as it is; I should say that one or two meetings of the G20 that I attended here were not very pleasing. The environment that one observed was not a pleasing environment. I say this so that we can improve immensely.”

In response to the scathing review of the city, Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi issued an apology to the president.

“I apologise to the President that he had that particular experience, and we felt that we will identify venues and areas for other meetings that will leave a lasting legacy and impression,” he said.

Lesufi said that the provincial government was now aware of the areas it needs to improve in following discussions with Ramaphosa.