Issued by: Office of the President
MESSAGE FROM PRESIDENT NELSON MANDELA TO THE ANTI-CRIME INITIATIVE
29 November 1995
Communities and the Rhema Church are to be commended for taking an initiative which focuses public attention on the high rate of violent crime in our country.
The time is now to build a strong and effective partnership between government and the public to stamp out this evil. We cannot allow our newly-won freedom to be tarnished and undermined by criminals.
The Government of National Unity shares your desire to see all South Africans living in a peaceful and secure environment. I join you in sending a strong signal to all criminals: Your days of preying on citizens are numbered.
Let our collective moment of silence tell them, more loudly than words, that our society will not tolerate their actions. We will not let them hold us to ransom.
The government is determined to improve the effectiveness of the police and the criminal justice system. We are committed to programmes which will remove the socio-economic roots of high levels of crime.
But the nation will only succeed if we act together.
Let us isolate the criminals. They should find no refuge and comfort among the people. Let us assist the police to bring transgressors to book. Together let us tackle the underlying causes of crime.
Our concern and our justified anger must translate into active support for the police. They are to be commended for their efforts under difficult circumstances. They need our help and support. Let us build Community Policing Forums where they already exist, and establish them in areas that do not yet have them. Let us join hands to eliminate opportunities for crime in our neighbourhoods, in our businesses, on our roads.
Let us in our millions say "NO" to crime. We deserve safety and security in our homes, in the streets, at work and in the schools. And we pledge not to rest until South Africa is safe and secure for all.