DRUG-RELATED CRIMES IN WESTERN CAPE ROCKET BY 44.4 PERCENT

Drug-related crimes in the Western Cape increased by 44.4% in the 2003/4
financial year, according to MEC for community safety Leonard Ramatlakane.

But other crimes in the province had dropped. Ramatlakane said attempted
murder had decreased by 25%.

He expressed concern about the age at which youths are getting involved in
drug-related crimes as children as young as 10 have been arrested for the
possession of tik.

Ramatlakane described the sharp rise in the number of arrests related to
the dealing and distribution of drugs as "alarming".

However, he said this figure should be viewed in a positive light as it
means police strategies and plans to arrest drug dealers have been "hugely
successful".

"The increase is what we wanted because it means that intervention
programmes and police action has led to arrests of people in connection
with these crimes. It indicates that our strategies have produced good
results. We will not take our foot off the accelerator now."

A merciless approach will be followed with these crimes, Ramatlakane told
the Cape Argus last night.

Druglords were constantly finding new ways of making drugs fashionable by
giving them new names such as ecstasy and tik, he added.

"This year we have seen major breakthroughs and big drug busts. You are
bound to see more activity around this crime. They either have to stop, or
they will be stopped. The police will be merciless in their drive to arrest
druglords.

"Children involved in drug-related crimes are getting younger and younger,"
he said.

The provincial government developed a business plan to tackle tik earlier
this year, involving various players.

"For us to win the battle the police cannot fight it alone. The community
needs to be at the centre of it to protect our next generation. Communities
are coming forward to help us clean up our streets."

Ramatlakane said in the provincial legislature that other crimes in the
province had dropped. Rape and attempted rape had dropped by 3.3%.

"At the five priority stations which are often responsible for 50% of
violent crimes in the province, good results have been achieved," he said.

Murder dropped by 32% in Khayelitsha and by 30.5% in Mitchell's Plain. In
Kuils River the murder rate had decreased by 25.8% in the past two years,
in Gugulethu murder had dropped by 18% and in Nyanga by 29%.

"The number of rape cases in Mitchell's Plain is down by 32%, in Nyanga
by16% and in Gugulethu by 26.5%."