Johannesburg is a fast-paced, cosmopolitan metropolis with plenty of opportunities for all. This vibrant city is home to millions of people who grapple with safety and security issues daily, despite the bright lights that glisten over its skyline at night.
As part of the current mayoral priorities, the City’s Multiparty Government (MPG) is determined to ensure everyone in Johannesburg feels safe from crime and physical danger of any kind.
The City’s safety strategy is designed to create a safer Johannesburg through community and social development, crime reduction, emergency and disaster management, regulation and enforcement of by-laws, and the provision of basic services.
After it was last reviewed extensively during the 2016/17 fiscal year, the Joburg City Safety Strategy (JCSS) is being revised and streamlined to improve efficiency and align it to a modern-day scenario. The City is finalising budgetary allocations for the review process, which once commenced, could take up to six months before the final strategy is promulgated.
The JCSS will be reviewed through a multi-disciplinary process conducted by the Department of Public Safety, which consolidates the work of all City directorates dealing with the safety of residents and visitors alike. Collaborating with municipal stakeholders, including representatives from the City’s regional clusters, the South African Police Service (SAPS), Community Policing Forums (CPF), and various other role-players, the department aims to improve safety in Johannesburg to achieve a caring, and secure society as envisioned by the City’s long-term plan.
“The City is responsible for implementing projects that ensure community safety, such as #BuyaMthetho and the Joburg 10 Plus,” says Tshegofatso Malapane, a Joburg City Safety Programme Specialist.
Malapane is confident streamlining the City’s safety strategy will increase accountability within municipal departments responsible for such while ensuring continuity in the work done to improve security in Johannesburg.
“I would like to see a review of the strategy to ensure it remains relevant and refers to current safety issues and trends. There should also be an associated implementation plan developed to respond effectively to identified issues of crime and grime,” she adds.
She says members of the public will be consulted before the new strategy is finalised to understand the safety challenges they face.
“Engagements will require a round table with experts to look at the position of the future state of public safety in Johannesburg so we can strengthen implementation.”
Through the JCSS, the City aims to recommit to and strengthen inter-agency initiatives that tackle the underlying causes that threaten safety in Johannesburg.
“We want to ensure our audit methodology and toolkits are still appropriate tools to assist with implementing safety initiatives,” says Joy Jacobs, the Project Analyst for the City’s safety programme.
Although there are key challenges to urban safety that threaten prospects for investment and economic growth, Malapane asserts that the municipality will manage these through a tailored, multi-disciplinary and multi-agency approach.
“We want to convene a City Urban Safety Forum forthwith to generate awareness for the safety strategy and enable buy-in from all stakeholders,” she adds.
Written by Gontse ‘GeE’ Hlophe
10/2/2022