Krugersdorp - South Africans needed to take up more active role in the fight against crime if the country is to make inroads with its crime combating initiatives.
This was the general consensus among speakers at Crime Line's fourth anniversary breakfast in Krugersdorp on Thursday.
The anonymous tip-off line, which was launched in 2007, has recorded a number of successes over the years. Information received through Crime Line and passed on to police has resulted in more than 1 000 arrests.
Speaking at the event, Gauteng Community Safety and MEC, Faith Mazibuko, said initiatives such as Crime Line were vital in the fight against crime.
"For us to really fight crime in Gauteng, we need each one of us to hold in strong partnerships. That way, the few rotten elements that are terrorising our communities will be exposed," she said.
Mazibuko described the province as a gangsters' paradise and a hiding ground for a number of criminals.
It was through initiatives such as Crime Line that police could receive tip-offs about the whereabouts of these "kingpins", she noted.
Mazibuko added that the work done by Crime Line was greatly appreciated and called for Crime Line to expand its footprint.
She urged communities to unite and work together with police to blow the whistle on criminal activities.
Yusuf Abramjee, head of Crime Line, shared her sentiments, saying the fight against crime was the responsibility of every South African.
"We must continue to blow the whistle on criminals because it is our civic duty," he said.
Abramjee also took a minute to remember police officers who died in the line of duty, questioning why some community members were protecting police killers.
The success of Crime Line had caught the attention of other countries, he noted, with Namibia recently requesting for Crime Line and Crime Stop to be launched there.
During a panel discussion at the event, former Cabinet Minister Jay Naidoo said in order to tackle crime and corruption, it was important to get to the root causes. He cited poverty and inequalities as some of the contributing factors to crime.
Gareth Newham, from the Institute for Security Studies, added that the issue went beyond poverty to inequality. Many people became angry and frustrated when they saw the widening gap between the haves and have-nots in society and then turned to crime, Newham added.
He suggested that more money be invested in trying to understand why crime was committed in the first place.
Deputy National Director of Public Prosecutions, Willie Hofmeyer, said more capacity was needed to deal with crime effectively.
He pointed out the need for better skills, more human resources and tougher laws, questioning why someone who shot at police should be granted bail.
There were "fundamental things wrong" in the justice system, he added. However, Hofmeyer also acknowledged that there were no quick fixes and that the only way to address it was for every sector to work together.
Public Protector Advocate Thuli Madonsela, Independent Complaints Directorate Executive Director Francois Beukman and Business against Crime CEO Graham Wright were also part of the discussions.