Phumzile: Poverty = crime

from News 24

Cape Town - South Africa must end poverty for millions and build moral values to help stop violent crime and corruption, the country's deputy president Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka said on Tuesday.

South Africa is Africa's biggest economy and has one of the highest crime rates in the world, with armed robberies and other crimes of violence continuing to shock a country preparing to host the Soccer World Cup in 2010.

"The unacceptable numbers of South Africans that still live in poverty and deprivation clearly is one of the problems (contributing to crime)," Mlambo-Ngcuka said at a conference in Cape Town.

In the latest incident, David Rattray, a renowned military historian and friend of Britain's Prince Charles, was killed in a robbery at his home.

The killing provoked an outcry from business and political leaders, who bemoaned the violent crime plaguing South African society despite official figures showing murder rates declining.

Mlambo-Ngcuka said it was essential to alleviate poverty and unemployment for millions to help cut crime.

"Too many of our compatriots are unemployed and do not have access to productive economic opportunity," she said, adding sharing the wealth of the nation was a moral responsibility.

South Africa's economy has grown solidly in the past few years, averaging nearly four percent annual expansion, but unemployment remains high, officially estimated at 25.6%.

Mlambo-Ngcuka said moral decay had fuelled violent crime and firm action should be taken against public servants found guilty of corruption.

The police and armed forces should exhibit behaviour that was exemplary and beyond reproach, she said.

"They should be encouraged to exhibit higher public service ethos, higher public service spirit and public morality. Anything less can be traumatising to society because our people need standards," Mlambo-Ngcuka said.