Mpumalanga Safety, Security and Liaison MEC Vusi Shongwe undertook to turn the province into a safe place in nine months time.
MEC Shongwe was speaking at the Prestige Award Ceremony on Friday night where he publicly told SAPS National Deputy Commissioners who attended the event that after nine months, Mpumalanga would be the safest province in South Africa.
He said with the assistance of the police, criminals would run away and if they wanted to fight with the police they would have to fight him first as he would be in the forefront.
Give me nine months; the province will change for the better. I want communities to sleep outside their homes if they wish so, not to fear criminals but mosquitoes.
"The police will be more respected. Criminals will rather prefer to be in the police vans instead of coming face-to-face with the police," said MEC Shongwe.
"The bullet will have to hit me first before killing innocent people who would be protected by SAPS members," said MEC Shongwe to the excitement of guests.
He said corrupt and lazy police officers should leave the service because their lives would be difficult as he intended to leave no stone unturned in the fight against crime and corruption.
MEC Shongwe explained that crime was a social problem that destabilized communities and it also affected the province's economy as government ended up dedicating more resources on fighting crime.
He told guests that in the nine days he had been in the office, he had received calls from people commending him for increasing police visibility. He further urged the community to assist the police by giving tip-offs saying he would be in the centre to promote the good relationship.
"It is also a fact that the fight against crime and corruption can never be a sole responsibility of government, everyone should do something because crime does not discriminate as it affects the poor, rich, educated, business people and the politicians," said MEC Shongwe.
Talking about the awards, Shongwe said he was convinced that SAPS had committed women in the fight against crime. He said women officers demonstrated the good relationship between the communities and the police because of the community projects they have embarked on.
According to the MEC, women were naturally giving and selfless. He was happy that police recognized exceptional women because the awards developed an assertive cadre of women leaders capable of independent thinking, thereby contributing to quality service delivery.
This year's main award was scooped by a Witbank Senior Clerk Ms Susana Grobbler for creating awareness around child abduction and human trafficking.