Taverns and bottle stores outnumber schools, clinics and doctors’ offices in Inanda.
This was noted by Police Minister Bheki Cele during an anti-crime imbizo at the Dr JL Dube Stadium in Inanda on Tuesday.
“If you put together the number of schools, clinics and doctors’ offices, they are 121. The shebeens and bottle stores are 136 all together. This is one thing we all need to look at, not really interfere with the economic activities but to understand that the very same economic activities, if they are not properly regulated, can lead to crimes,” said Cele.
He emphasised the importance of collaborative efforts between the government, law enforcement, and communities in combating crime effectively, stressing the need for a united front.
Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube emphasised the urgent need for collective action in the fight against crime. She outlined a series of initiatives aimed at strengthening community policing efforts and empowering local communities to play an active role in crime prevention.
Nomusa Shangase, chairperson of the Inanda Community Policing Forum, said the issue was the illegal shebeens in the area.
“These illegal shebeens are not regulated and therefore are open 24/7.
We find that when the legal taverns close at midnight, people then go to those unregulated shebeens and that is where chaos erupts.”
Ward 42 councillor Derrick Mngadi said taverns were the leading cause of many crimes in Inanda.
“People come out of these taverns at night and it is either they rape, rob and murder other people or they become victims of these crimes.”
Ward 56 councillor Siyabonga Ntombela said there was concern about schoolchildren finding themselves in illegal taverns.
“We are very much invested in our youth and we have therefore developed a number of programmes to ensure that they do not find themselves in taverns.
“We engage a lot with schools and we also have a war room where we invite the youth to be part of the conversations around their safety and that of the community,” said Ntombela.
Ward 107 councillor Njabulo Ntuli said taverns were hot spots where criminals preyed on intoxicated individuals.
“We have tried to restrict movements of community members, especially at night, of course with their consent, but people are stubborn.
“We also have a neighbourhood watch and it is very helpful in assisting with keeping people off the streets at night.
“We encourage members of the community to join the neighbourhood watch,” said Ntuli.
The Mercury