Mapaballo Borotho

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) in Gauteng has condemned Premier Panyaza Lesufi’s approach to crime prevention, asserting that his efforts have failed to produce meaningful results.
This comes in response to the release of the 2024/25 fourth-quarter crime statistics, which were made public on Thursday, 5 June.
Despite a reported decrease in contact crimes such as murder and sexual offences, the EFF maintains that the figures offer little reassurance to residents.
The EFF in Gauteng notes with grave concern the 4th Quarter Crime Statistics.
— EFF Gauteng (@EFFGautengProv) June 5, 2025
-Until government deliberately invests in industrial development to create jobs and combat poverty, the conditions that breed crimes such as drug abuse, gangsterism, and violence, will persist. pic.twitter.com/70UaMvriG7
According to provincial police commissioner Lieutenant General Tommy Mthombeni, Gauteng continues to be the epicenter of criminal activity in South Africa, contributing nearly 27% of the national crime rate.
The statistics revealed that murder cases dropped by 10.8% and sexual offences by 2.1%. However, the EFF maintains that these numbers do not reflect any significant improvement in the safety and security of vulnerable groups, particularly women and children.
In a statement, the EFF expressed doubt over Premier Lesufi’s crime-fighting strategies.
“This quarter’s crime statistics do not indicate any improvement in policing since Premier Lesufi brought the community safety department under his direct control and made sweeping promises involving helicopters, CCTV, drones, and artificial intelligence,” the party said.
“The EFF has consistently warned against the Premier’s obsession with Public Relations stunts instead of substantive, ground-level interventions. Today, criminals are more brazen than ever, targeting citizens, police officers, and political leaders alike,” the statement added.
Meanwhile, in a separate incident, the Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) apprehended four suspects in Hillbrow who were allegedly plotting to rob a liquor outlet on Friday.
According to JMPD spokesperson Xolani Fihla, the suspects were found in possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition.
They are allegedly linked to a series of robberies that have been taking place in Newtown, Johannesburg.



