In a bid to rescue 'Tintswalo', the Democratic Alliance (DA) John Steenhuisen has outlined a plan to halve the rate of violent crime, corruption, and lawlessness, including murder, attempted murder, and gender-based violence, should his party win the 2024 elections.
Steenhuisen addressed a blue-packed DA manifesto launch at the Union Buildings lawns in Pretoria, Gauteng, on Saturday.
He said that the DA government will decentralise policing to capable provinces to effectively tighten crime and protect citizens.
"This will involve devolving specific policing management and governance functions to competent local and provincial government while maintaining a national police force," he said.
Steenhuisen said the plan would be rolled out across the country, including rural areas, where farmers and their workers will also be protected.
He said the plan is to disband the existing State Security Agency (SSA) and establish a new independent, efficient, and transparent one, free from party-political interference.
In addition, he said his party will build a strong, capable, and independent National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).
On tackling firearm ownership, he promised to create an electronic system to streamline the central firearms registry, cracking down on the smuggling of firearms by the SAPS to gangsters and criminals.
Among other plans to revive the criminal justice system, Steenhuisen said the DA will ensure a victim-centred approach by providing sufficient shelters and rehabilitation centres, ensuring court support services are available, ensuring SAPS and the NPA provide feedback and progress on investigations and prosecutions to victims, and also ensuring that victims of crime and their interests are placed at the centre of all proceedings.
He also added that the independence and effectiveness of the judicial system will be looked at closely.
Reclaiming the streets from gang violence, he said they will develop school awareness programmes, invest in Youth Development Programmes, and develop community partnerships with civil society, faith-based, and other organisations to reduce gang recruitment.
IOL Politics