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Johannesburg - Defeating drugs and gangs needs a collective effort from society, including a government that is present, listens, and acts, none of which President Jacob Zuma's government has done, DA leader Mmusi Maimane said on Saturday.
"That is not the government of President Zuma who made promises to you back in 2013, but has failed to keep them," Maimane said in a speech prepared for delivery in Eldorado Park, Soweto.
"When President Zuma was here, he spoke about increasing the capacity of the local police stations and providing more vehicles. This didn’t happen. He spoke about turning this community into an economic hub – about factories and jobs. That hasn’t happened."
Speaking outside the Eldorado Park police station where the Democratic Alliance submitted a memorandum to police regard drug crime in the area, Maimane said Zuma also spoke about closing drug dens operating from provincial and council housing.
However, drug dens were still operating from such properties, and nothing had come of the National Youth Development Agency office which was meant to open in the area, remaining locked and empty.
"Promises are broken the moment they’re made. Programmes fail. Lolly lounges open up again. Drug dealers don’t remain behind bars. And your children must face them day in and day out," Maimane said.
"Well I’m saying to you today: they don’t have to. You can take back Eldorado Park from these criminals... your first step is to vote for a government that is prepared to fight for you."
Maimane said he could be accused of electioneering like Zuma was doing in 2013 when he came to Eldorado Park. However, the difference was the DA had proof they treated citizens better under their care compared to the current African National Congress government.
There were many areas in the Western Cape that faced similar challenges to Eldorado Park, such as gangsterism and drugs.
Women-only rehabilitation
"The City of Cape Town’s metro police has a hand-picked and highly trained Gang and Drugs Task Team that operates throughout the city worst-affected areas," Maimane said.
"The Western Cape provincial government puts a lot of money and effort into prevention and rehabilitation programmes, and in June they opened the province’s first women-only rehabilitation centre."
The DA had also launched school-based drug treatment programmes at four pilot sites as well as in several residential areas in the Western Cape.
"But the fight against drugs must have a wider focus than just law enforcement and rehabilitation," the DA leader said.
"And across Cape Town, the DA runs programmes to keep children off the streets and away from the drug dealers. We want to do the same for you here in Eldorado Park, but first you need to do your bit. We can only fight for you here once we are your government."
Once the DA were elected in Johannesburg and elsewhere in next year's local government elections, Maimane was confident voters would not turn back.
