Ramaphosa: Specialised units must be established to fight crime

President Cyril Ramaphosa says crime has spread in South Africa and that law and order is no longer being observed

Ramaphosa: Specialised units must be established to fight crime

African National Congress (ANC) President Cyril Ramaphosa has once again acknowledged the extent of crime in the country and reckons setting up more specialised units to tackle the crisis is the best way the South African Police Service (SAPS) can go about it.

Ramaphosa addressed party members and supporters at the Nkowankowa Stadium outside Tzaneen in Limpopo on Saturday, 10 September 2022.

When Police Minister Bheki Cele released the crime stats last month, it was learnt that some crimes had seen an increase over the past year, including murders, attempted murders carjackings, commercial crimes and cash-in-transit heists.

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President Cyril Ramaphosa says the police need to establish units that are dedicated to certain crimes.

“Criminality has spread in our country and the law and order has no longer been observed. We have called upon the police, they must take their work serious, the police must set up units. We used to have units which deal with murder, robbery, the murder robbery squad was there to make sure that those who go out killing people are apprehended, we say to police set up specialised units,” he said.

Cele has been blamed for the police’s failure to adequately tackle crime and opposition parties, including the DA and EFF, have repeatedly called on Ramaphosa to give him the axe.

“It is only in this ANC government that a man, who has presided over one of the worst violent crime waves outside of a war zone, would still be rewarded with the perks, pay and power of a Cabinet position. He is a danger to society and he must be fired. Bheki Cele must go,” said DA leader John Steenhuisen.