MEC Plato commends bravery of Mr Kevin Jacobs

Statement by Dan Plato, Western Cape Minister of Community Safety

Threats to individual safety and the broader safety of communities require every individual to take a stand, as safety is everyone’s responsibility. I applaud the embodiment of this ethos by a community member in Plumstead yesterday.

Mr Kevin Jacobs assisted a victim of an attack while making his way on his morning commute early on Monday morning. During the incident, Mr Jacobs managed to chase off two robbers who assaulted a motorist with a brick and was busy stealing his personal belongings.

Mr Jacobs’ is a safety hero in my view as an ordinary individual who took responsibility for the safety of his community and who helped to make his area safer for everyone, be it a local or visitor to the area.

The majority of residents are not criminals. It is however, up to this same majority to take a stand against the criminal elements which exist in every community.

While the South African Police Service (SAPS) and other law enforcement agencies are obviously our first port of call for dealing with crime, we also require the whole of society to take a stand, support our police, and help make our communities safer.

The actions of Mr Jacobs was not based on whether or not he knew the victim, whether the victim was from his community, whether the victim was of the same race, religion or political party, for instance. Crime does not discriminate and affects all of us.

I urge every person residing in the Western Cape to be inspired by the actions of Mr Jacobs in creating safer communities in 2016. Be the change which you want to see in our province and country going forward.

There are numerous ways of getting more actively involved in your community to help create safer environments for all – including the Neighbourhood Watch structures and Community Policing Forums, and I invite everyone to read up on this on the Western Cape Government website.

In 2016 we cannot turn a blind eye any longer to acts of violence, crime or injustice in our communities. These threats to safety are allowed to go on as long as we - as individuals, government and law enforcement agencies – do not work together in rooting them out of our respective houses, our streets and our communities.