Statement by Ald Cilliers Brink – DA Tshwane Mayoral Candidate:
The DA marched alongside hundreds of Laudium residents to the Laudium SAPS station, demanding urgent action against a property in the community alleged to be operating as a drug house and brothel.
Outside I announced that a DA-led City of Tshwane local government will establish a Crime Investigation Unit focused on the priority crimes hurting our communities, including drug dealing, gang violence, extortion and organised crime.
Residents have repeatedly raised concerns about drug dealing, prostitution, and excessive late-night noise at the property. Last Friday, our councillor candidate Anil Paladh and I submitted a memorandum to SAPS demanding that action be taken.
Today, hundreds of community members joined us to make it clear that they have had enough.
The fact that the property shares a fence with the Laudium police station makes the situation even more unacceptable.
But Tshwane cannot simply wait for SAPS to solve every problem. We need a new approach to fighting crime.
The City of Tshwane’s Crime Investigation Unit will get criminals off the streets.
The unit will gather evidence, build strong cases and hand them over to SAPS and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) for prosecution.
Crucially, the City will not simply hand over a case and walk away.
The Investigation Unit I want to launch will track every case it refers to SAPS and the NPA all the way through the criminal justice system, including through to sentencing in court.
Where there is strong evidence but SAPS or the NPA fails to act, the City will explore every lawful avenue available, including private prosecution where legally appropriate, if a DA government is elected.
Crime cannot be allowed to flourish because institutions have stopped talking to each other or because cases disappear into the system.
Tshwane needs a DA government that follows the evidence, follows the case and follows the criminal all the way to court.
That is our commitment to the people of Tshwane. If you support the DA, we can fight crime together.
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