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Cape Town – Cabinet is concerned about "disturbing reports of crimes against children", new Communications Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi said on Thursday during a briefing on the previous day's Cabinet meeting.
"Cabinet has expressed concern following disturbing reports of crimes against children, the most recent one being the alleged sexual assault of more than 80 pupils at the AB Xuma Primary School in Orlando, Soweto, by a scholar patrol guard," reads the Cabinet statement presented by Kubayi.
"The provincial department is commended for the prompt response by removing, with immediate effect, the senior management of the school, bringing on board social workers and instituting an investigation by an independent body.
"Cabinet calls on all communities in South Africa to work together to protect all children from any form of danger and abuse, and to partner with local police to keep our communities safe."
Cabinet also condemned the attack on six police officers in Vanderbijlpark in Gauteng on October 10.
WATCH: 6 police officers assaulted, gunshots fired during Vanderbijlpark raid
"The law enforcement agencies are mandated to protect society from any act of criminality. Therefore, no amount of anger can justify anyone attacking the law enforcement agencies."
"Cabinet urges members of that community to work with the police to apprehend criminal elements and help make South Africa safer for all."
SAPS annual report approved
Kubayi also said that Cabinet was briefed on the crime statistics for the 2016/17 financial year.
She said the annual crime statistics enable the government to monitor key crime-fighting targets and are used as an early warning mechanism to strengthen the crime prevention operations and strategies of various departments.
She said Cabinet approved the release of the SAPS annual report, expected next week, by Police Minister Fikile Mbalula.
Cabinet also expressed condolences to the loved ones of those who died during the recent storms in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal.
Presenting her first post-cabinet briefing to the media after being appointed minister of communications on Tuesday, Kubayi started the briefing by commemorating Media Freedom Day, also known Black Wednesday – a reference to October 19, 1977, when newspapers critical of apartheid were banned.
"Today, media freedom is firmly entrenched in South Africa's Constitution and remains a fundamental feature of our developing nation.
"Cabinet further encourages South Africans to continue to promote access to information and use the right of media freedom responsibly to help build a united, non-racial, non-sexist, democratic and prosperous South Africa for all."
Kubayi also said Cabinet congratulated President Jacob Zuma on "being honoured with a statue and a street being named after him in Nigeria during a working visit to strengthen socio-economic relations and other cooperations".
