City hosts Safer City Indaba to declare war on crime in a coordinated effort to secure dignity, investment and growth
By: Matshidiso Selebeleng
The Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality (MMM) has taken a significant step toward ur ban renewal by hosting a comprehensive Safer City Indaba at the Bloemfontein City Hall.
Held from 18 to 19 February 2026, the summit gathered key representatives from the Border Management Authority (BMA), the South African Local Government Association (SALGA), and the Community Policing Forum (CPF) to address critical issues, including disaster readiness, by-law enforcement, and gender-based violence.
This strategic gathering marked a shift from theoretical planning to a practical, integrated approach to securing the metro’s future. Opening the proceedings, Mangaung Executive Mayor, Gregory Nthatisi, delivered a powerful keynote address, asserting that safety is the fundamental bedrock of dignity and economic growth. “Safety is not a side function of government. It is not an isolated programme.
It is the foundation upon which dignity, development, investment, and social stability rest,” Nthatisi stated, while challenging officials to move beyond mere rhetoric. “Where people do not feel safe, opportunity retreats. Where communities live in fear, progress slows. Where lawlessness grows, trust in institutions weakens,” he added. Nthatisi’s address highlighted a commitment to action over bureaucracy. “Passing policies is easier than implementing them.
Drafting bylaws is easier than enforcing them. Announcing plans is easier than coordinating execution. One of the central tests of this Indaba will be whether we move from fragmented effort to coordinated action.” Free State Premier, MaQueen Letsoha-Mathae, echoed Nthatisi’s sentiments while expressing grave concern over the rising tide of housebreakings, murders, and the infiltration of violence into schools. Taking a firm stance, Letsoha-Mathae committed the full weight of provincial authority to declaring war against violence in the province to ensure that the vision of the National Development Plan (NDP) - a society where citizens live free of fear - becomes a reality.
This commitment is backed by strengthened partnerships with the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the ramping up of municipal policing units specifically tasked with dismantling gangs, drug syndicates, and cross-border criminal networks. The second day of the Indaba transitioned into the logistics of implementation, focusing on the precision of ward-based planning.
Technical expert, Angie Mokasi, explained that safety strategies must be tailored to the specific risks of each area. “There is no single approach for every ward; the dynamics of every ward are not the same in terms of the risks depending on population density, land use, economic activities, and social conditions,” she noted.
By utilising ward profiling and crime pattern analysis, the municipality aims to address the unique vulnerabilities of schools, informal settlements, and business hubs through localised interventions rather than a generic, city-wide approach. Concluding the summit, the focus shifted toward modernisation and the role of innovation in public safety.
MMC for Economic Development, Manthuse Let awana, introduced the concept of Smart City Development, detailing how digital solutions and technological innovation can be leveraged to enhance urban security and streamline service delivery. By integrating advanced technology with localised, ground-level policing, Mangaung is positioning itself to build a resilient and inclusive environment where safety is no longer a privilege but a guaranteed right for every resident.
