Mon séjour en Afrique du Sud (Cape Town)

Eastern Cape MEC for Safety and Liaison Thobile Mhlahlo has vowed to intensify the training of police to empower them to fight cross border crime.

Mr Mhlahlo was speaking in Maluti during a summit convened by the provincial government to tackle crime along the border with Lesotho.

South Africa's High Commissioner to Lesotho Hew Leslie, Eastern Cape Police Commissioner Sipho Mpongoma, Colonel Willem of the SANDF, the Cross Border Peace Committee, local farmers association and traditional leaders were among those who attended the summit.

Mr Mhlahlo said this year, the SAPS in the Eastern Cape would employ 2 544 entry-level constables and some would be deployed at the border areas "to intensify our operations".

He said cross border crime had become a major threat to the political ties that South Africa had with African states including Lesotho.

"Along this border are four official points of entry namely Tele Bridge, Ramatsiliso, Ongeluknek and Qhashanek," he said.

Mr Mhlahlo said murder, robbery, stock theft; drug trafficking and illegal immigration had become prevalent along the border "because people can cross at several points as there is no border fence".

He further stated that sector policing and rural safety committees had been established in all police stations, especially along the border in order to give impetus to "our broad strategy".

Furthermore, he said peace committees and district liaison committees had been formed on both sides of the border. The committees comprise members of the community, local municipalities and security forces.

He emphasised that there needed to be cooperation with peace committees of Lesotho in trying to solve border crimes.

"We need to strengthen our relationship within the Cross-Border Broader Forum to ensure that our Lesotho counterparts fully participate in the formulation of solutions.

"Ties that we are strengthening today will not only benefit the people of the Eastern Cape and Lesotho, but the entire continent because this initiative is in support of the noble objectives of the African Union and the continent's grand rescue plan - Nepad;" Mr Mhahlo said.