SHOPPING malls, tourists' attractions and public gatherings - that's where cops will be all the time this festive season.
KZN Premier and Community Safety and Liaison Executive Authority, Thamsanqa Ntuli, launched the Safety Month and Integrated Festive Season Safety Plan.
This took place at the Durban beachfront, on Thursday, 30 October.
KZN police commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi attended the launch.
MKhwanazi said they have 10 focus areas.
"We are going to focus on the air. When I talk about air, I talk about points of entry and our airports. The airports in KZN, the main being the ones in Durban and Richards Bay. We have an airport in Pietermaritzburg and those are the busy ones," he said.
ALSO READ | Man caught with cough syrup stashOpens in new window
Mkhwanazi said there's one in Port Shepstone and some airstrips that from time to time are going to be used, including Mkhuze and Newcastle.
"We're also going to have operations in our waters as we know we have a big coastline province from the south coast, from Port Edward all the way up to the northern side of Umkhanyakude visited by a lot of tourists.
"We have seen, especially during this time of the year, when people, tourists go missing, so there will be a lot of deployment in those areas through our boats patrols and motorbikes to make sure we create a safer environment in the water spaces," said the top cop.
During the launch, Premier Ntuli assured residents, the business sector and investors that the launch will reposition KZN as the safest destination for local and international holidaymakers during the festive season.
"During this period, law enforcement will heighten awareness campaigns against the scourge of gender-based violence and femicide. The provincial government will advance its crime prevention interventions under the auspices of the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security Cluster," he said.
"The Department of Community Safety and Liaison, law enforcement agencies and various community safety structures will intensify efforts to curb stock theft, especially at targeted hot spot areas such as uThukela, Harry Gwala, Zululand and uMkhanyakude districts."
