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Mangaung Metro kicked off its two days Safer City Indaba on Wednesday in Bloemfontein, where the Executive Mayor Cllr. Gregory Nthatisi told the delegates that it is important to have a safe City as it is attractive to both investors and residents.
Nthatisi said safety in the City can only be achieved through collaborative efforts with stakeholders each playing their important roles. Last year, Mangaung hosted an Investment Summit, which attracted foreign investors. The leadership sold the Metro as a bankable and an investment destination of choice.
One of the selling points was that of stability and safety, of which during his remarks at the Safer City Indaba Nthatisi said is foundational to investment.
“Safety is not a side function of government. It is not an isolated programme. It is the foundation upon which dignity, development, investment, and social stability rest. Where people do not feel safe, opportunity retreats. Where communities live in fear, progress slows. Where lawlessness grows, trust in institutions weakens.
We are bringing into one room policymakers, implementers, scholars, technologists, security services, social partners, and community representatives because safety cannot be manufactured by one sector alone. It must be co-produced. It must be integrated. And it must be sustained,” said Gregory Nthatisi.
The Executive Mayor said over the next two days, the City will engage deeply on the state of safety in the metro, disaster readiness, by-law enforcement, border and immigration controls, gender-based violence, contact crimes, infrastructure resilience, campus safety, cyber-security, smart city solutions, and partnership models. He said the breadth is intentional. Safety is multidimensional and so must be Mangaung’s response.
Nthatisi told the Indaba that the discussions will be based on lived experiences of the residents and will come up with relevant realistic solutions. He said residents feel or do not feel safe when the following happen:
• When streetlights are not working. • When illegal dumping creates health hazards. • When traffic laws are ignored. • When public spaces are hijacked. • When women and children are not protected. • When emergency response is slow. • When bylaws exist on paper but not on the ground.
“A safer city is built through visible order, reliable services, responsive institutions, and accountable enforcement.
We must also be honest; passing policies is easier than implementing them. Drafting bylaws is easier than enforcing them. Announcing plans is easier than coordinating execution. One of the central tests of this Indaba will be whether we move from fragmented effort to coordinated action.
We must challenge three dangerous assumptions. First, the assumption that safety is only the responsibility of the police. It is not. Urban design, lighting, transport systems, digital monitoring, social services, education, and economic inclusion all shape safety outcomes.
Second, the assumption that technology alone will solve crime. Smart systems are powerful but without governance, skills, maintenance, and ethical controls, technology becomes underused or misused.
Third, the assumption that communities are merely recipients of safety. Communities are not passive. They are partners. Ward based policing, neighbourhood watches, civic formations, and social organisations are force multipliers when properly supported and coordinated,” said the Executive Mayor.
The Free State Premier Ms MaQueen Letsoha-Mathae said the rise of crime is a serious concern and needs decisive action as it is having a negative impact on communities, including schools. Communities are not living comfortable due to the escalating crime rate.
“The recent crimes in our City demand urgency and a visionary approach. Our communities have experienced serious negative impacts on our schools, neighbourhoods, and overall sense of safety. These crimes are a direct reflection of lawlessness within Mangaung.
As Premier, I declare that we will not tolerate lawlessness and intend to defeat it. We commend the men and women in blue, and this province has unequivocally aligned itself to fight crime, particularly in high-impact areas,” said Letsoha-Mathae.
