GOOD Statement by Lloyd Phillips,
GOOD Councillor & Chair of Chairs in The City of Johannesburg
21 April 2023
The brutal murder and mutilation of two Soweto boys have sent shock waves through the City of Johannesburg, further underscoring the state’s failure to protect South Africans and in particular the most vulnerable in our communities.
The GOOD Party in Johannesburg is extremely concerned that this kind of violent crime persists in our communities.
Government needs to place the safety of our women and children at the top of its agenda and work to provide sustainable, far-reaching solutions to combat violent crime in our society.
The children, aged 5 and six, were found on Thursday after they were reported missing the day before.
It is simply unacceptable that our children do not have the freedom to play in their own communities without the risk of danger constantly hanging above them. As GOOD, we commit to helping create a safer Johannesburg where children can move freely.
The heinous killings have sparked fear among community members and we call on law enforcement to move swiftly and ensure that the perpetrators are arrested. We also want to urge the public to submit any relevant information to the police.
The right to life is a fundamental right enshrined in the Bill of Rights.
Too many police stations do not have adequate resources and enough officers on the ground to service communities. GOOD will ensure that we hold government to their commitment to capacitate police stations with the necessary resources to combat crime.
However, it’s also important to note that the problem of violent crime can’t be solved through policing alone. We live in a deeply unequal and broken society. This requires increased investment in urban and socio-economic development across the City.
This cannot be another headline that will simply be forgotten until the next brutal murder of another young life in South Africa. We owe our children much more.
We would like to express our sincere condolences to the families and loved-ones.
Media Enquiries:
Lloyd Phillips, GOOD Councillor & Chair of Chairs in the City of Johannesburg
Cell: 0747317578
Email: lloydp04@gmail.com
Janke Tolmay, GOOD Media Manager
Cell: 0733671223
Email: janke@forgood.org.za