May 4, 2006
By Thabang Mokoka
JOHANNESBURG'S five-year safety strategy - to tackle emergencies and street crime - looks set to form part of the City's Growth and Development Strategy.
The plan, devised by the Johannesburg metropolitan police department (JMPD) and emergency management services (EMS), was devised in particular to combat crime that adversely affects investment. "[It] deals with social crimes," explains the chief of the metro police, Chris Ngcobo.
It was presented on Wednesday, 3 May, at a Public Safety Sector Workshop, attended by the mayoral committee member for safety, Thomas Phakati, and a number of community leaders and stakeholders.
The strategy brings together the JMPD, EMS and other departments and bodies to bolster security across the city. Other organisations involved include the South African Police Service (SAPS), the Gauteng department of community safety, the Central Joburg Partnership and the Inner City Business Forum.
Head of the EMS, Audrey Gule, said a pilot project had been running with the emergency services and metro police working together "to respond effectively to emergency-related cases". This ensured that work was not duplicated with one department attending to a scene and the second also being called out.
SAPS provincial commissioner for Gauteng, Perumal Naidoo, emphasised the need to involve the people of the city.
The safety strategy has several long-term goals and objectives.
Ensuring a safe urban environment
The City of Johannesburg will ensure that no infrastructure or activity poses a threat to public safety.
It will also ensure that all necessary legislation, regulations, by-laws, protocols, guidelines and partnership arrangements are in place to manage effectively an evolving built environment, where buildings and other developments are spring up around the city.
Law enforcement is also key, particularly with regard to illegal dumping, nuisance-buildings, non-compliance with by-laws in poverty-stricken areas and non-adherence to occupational health and safety provisions.
The City intends to reduce the risk exposure for communities living in areas prone to safety threats.
A city free of fears of crime and violence
Reducing community conflict and avoiding anything that threatened local businesses and residents from going about their daily tasks, is another pillar in the safety strategy.
It is important to cut social crimes and the effect of these crimes, with a special focus on ensuring a safer environment for women.
Regulation of road traffic
It aims to provide proactive information and education to foster a culture of obeying road traffic laws. In turn this will reduce the number of pedestrian and road accidents.
An effective traffic-flow management system should be ensured, to maintain traffic mobility. This will allow for the enhancement of economic efficiencies through traffic mobility, according to the safety strategy.
Emergency response and disaster management
The workshop discussed how the strategy aims to update and maintain a disaster management plan based on comprehensive risk assessments. This will allow for complete readiness in responding to a state of emergency, as required by the Disaster Management Act.
This focuses mainly on key events, like the 2010 Soccer World Cup.
Another pillar in the strategy is to provide "avoidable disaster projects", especially to disadvantaged areas, through information and education programmes. In this way, communities can be made aware of dangers and can be empowered to help in case of disaster.
It also aims to develop a world-class response capacity, which will allow an efficient and effective response to emergencies.
In order to have a safe and clean city of which could all be proud, Phakathi concluded by saying "Charity begins at home".
The City will hold its Growth and Development Summit on 12 May to draw up an overarching strategy. This will be done in consultation with representatives from the government, business, labour and the community.
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