GANGSTERISM BECOMING MORE ORGANISED – ACTING NATCOM

MANZINI – Gangsterism is evolving into a more coordinated and secretive form of criminal activity, according to the acting National Commissioner (NATCOM) of Police, Lydia Dlamini.

It was during a stakeholder workshop on the National Crime Prevention Council on the Crime and Prevention Bill, when Dlamini made this revelation, through Deputy NATCOM, Wendy Hleta. The workshop took place at Matsapha Police Academy yesterday. It was attended by the National Crime Prevention Council, officers from the attorney general’s chambers, as well as senior police officers. The event saw the police and stakeholders discussing issues pertaining to the promotion and coordination of the crime prevention movement in the kingdom.

Difficult

Dlamini revealed that gangs were operating in tightly-knit cells, which were difficult to penetrate, and whose members were sworn to secrecy. She said these cells were made up of children, who had become ‘monsters,’ causing fear and unrest in their communities. She said the role of all agencies in the fight against crime, community policing in particular, had become more complex and diversified, with criminal elements operating with impunity and in a syndicated manner with networks and connections established in a wide range of sectors.
“Gangsterism has now evolved into coordinated criminal activity. whereby, gang members operate in certain cells, which are hard to penetrate and whose members are sworn to secrecy against divulging the identities of fellow members and/or their handlers/masterminds,” Dlamini said.

She said these were children, with whom they lived with, and who grew up right in front of their eyes, yet they had now become monsters who had created an environment of unease and fear within communities. “In close collaboration with other agencies in the fight against crime, we must strive to prevent the formation of such groupings through the establishment of anti-crime clubs in schools, out-of- school youth anti-crime clubs working with imiphakatsi and local community committees, as well as neighbourhood watch schemes,” she said. She reiterated that all their operations should be conducted within the ambits of the rule of law in ensuring the safety, security and prosperity of the nation, as well as observing global basic human rights standards and practices.

Dlamini further disclosed that drug dealing and trafficking continued unabated in rural communities, adding that they relied upon the collective engagement of stakeholders to fight this form of crime, as it destroyed the future of the youth and contributed to violence in societies, including gender-based violence. Stock Theft cases also continue to spiral inexplicably with a hard knock-off effect on the agricultural sector. She expressed belief that the community policing concept was conceived to prevent the commission of crime at family and community levels, as well as to promptly and decisively attend and deal with the situation after a crime had been committed.

Prevention

She further noted that the council shall be expected to organise, promote and coordinate crime prevention activities around the country, in conjunction with Regional crime prevention committees and the police. Despite the myriad obstacles that had hindered the effective execution of the council’s mandate, she noted that it had undertaken its oversight role quite impressively over the years and this included harnessing the efforts of the police and community police at grassroots level in the crime prevention domain.  She added that it had also made insightful presentations and fast-tracked the drafting of the Crime Prevention Bill, as well as represent all stakeholders and adopted the role of functionary to all community structures and projects in the community safety, and security value chain.

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