Despite the shocking incident in which eight police officers were implicated in the murder of taxi driver Mido Macia, police in Gauteng have made a commitment to reinforce policing and get closer to the local communities.

At the same time police continues to applaud those members who give dignity to the blue uniform and remembers the sacrifices of those who lost their lives while providing the safety for South African citizens. This was the message to thousands of police officers who gathered at the Johannesburg stadium to celebrate National Police Day today.

The celebration for The National Police Day is always on 27 January and this year it was postponed to this day, Wednesday, 6 March 2013 due to unforeseen circumstances. The theme for this year’s celebrations is “Squeezing crime to Zero”. It is a commitment to further reduce the levels of crime, providing improved quality in service and deal with the corrupt activities among our members. 

Members of the South African Police Service were also instructed to comply with the Code of Conduct and Ethics which prescribes and emphasise the importance of ethical behavior and integrity for all the employees. In an effort to reduce the levels of corrupt members in Gauteng, the Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Mzwandile Petros introduced a corruption hotline: 0860 267 7878, in which complaints can be made in any language and anonymously.

One of the priorities is to continue mobilising the communities through partnerships in dealing with serious crimes especially crimes against women and children, drugs “trafficking and other violent crimes. Police are also calling the communities of Gauteng to report all crimes in order that crime prevention strategies may be reviewed and deal with criminals effectively.