Mayor Mashaba launch Festive Season Safety Campaign
Today, I engaged with motorists and business owners on the importance of being vigilant against crime and obeying by-laws, as part of the City’s Festive Season Safety Campaign.
Our festive season falls within the summer school holiday period, a time when many businesses scale down their operations, families go on holiday and, parks and shopping centres see an increase in visitors.
Unfortunately, this is also the time of year when criminal elements take advantage of the relaxed atmosphere in our communities; resulting in homes or businesses being burgled.
This year, we have already seen an early increase in robberies at shopping centres, with cell-phone stores, jewellery stores and cash-in-transit vehicles being targeted.
Every year, we also see a profound disregard for by-law and the rules of the road. Sadly, this disregard for the law sometimes results in the unnecessary loss of life.
It is also worrisome that excessive consumption of alcohol tends to increase during this time, which often lead to assault, increased reporting on incidents of sexual violence, reckless and negligence driving, noise compliance, fatal crashes and domestic violence.
As part of the 16 Days of Activism, I must emphasize that this kind of behaviour will not be tolerated in our City.
The Department of Public Safety has in the past managed to conduct successful Festive Safety Campaigns in collaboration with internal and external stakeholders such as City Parks, the Department of Community Safety (DoCS), the National Department of Transport (NDoT), the South African Police Service (SAPS), the Gauteng Traffic Police (GTP), the Central Business District Forum (CBD), and the Self Help Association of Paraplegics (SHAP).
This year’s Festive Season Safety Campaign is no different, and will focus on the following aspects of community safety:
• Crime prevention;
• Reduction in road fatalities;
• Reduction and prevention of driving under the influence;
• Speed enforcement;
• Vehicle and driver fitness;
• Public transport compliance;
• Pedestrian safety awareness campaigns;
• By-law management;
• Fire safety campaigns;
• Management of firework displays;
• Prevention of drowning;
• Readiness for flash floods;
• Anti-fraud and corruption campaigns;
• Event management;
• Incident management; and
• Traffic management;
The Department of Public Safety has also embarked on intensive Safety Education Outreach Activations within major malls in all seven regions, with the aim of informing members of the public and business owners alike of risks, and being vigilant.
As we launch our Festive Season Safety Campaign, I urge for resident’s full cooperation, and remind residents that we are all responsible for own actions. Our actions either impact the lives of others in a negative or positive manner.
Let’s go into the festive season with a focus on the latter.
Cllr Herman Mashaba
Executive Mayor
Media enquiries:
Luyanda Mfeka
Acting Director of Communications
Office of the Executive Mayor
City of Johannesburg
Tel: 011 407 6727
Cellular: 076 171 5978
Email: luyandam@joburg.org.za
