The Gauteng Provincial
Government (GPG) in collaboration with the South African Police Services
(SAPS), Metropolitan Municipal Police Departments (MPDs), local and district
municipalities hosted the Integrated Provincial Service Delivery Operations on
Wednesday the 4 of June 2025. The programme took place at
Mehlareng Stadium Tembisa in the city of Ekuruleni. The focus was on addressing
thorny challenges in Ekuruleni particularly criminal activities, vandalism, lawlessness,
waste removal and road maintenance just to mention a few. 
The programme resulted from
the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on integrated cross-boundary
Law Enforcement Operations on 15 April 2025 which will ensure that Gauteng
province is borderless when coming to crime prevention. According to the Chief
of Metro Police in Tshwane Commissioner Yolanda Faro, purpose of the (MOU) is
to formalize the strategic relationship between municipalities and all law
enforcement agencies with an objective to combat crime and ensure that Gauteng
is not only safe but clean and conducive to all residents. Through the
programme, the Gauteng Provincial Government envisage to intensify multi-agency
collaborations to combat crime across districts and enhance police visibility,
promote information sharing among law enforcement agencies and showcase
technological tools used in crime prevention. 
The programme commenced with multi-agency
operations which included high visibility policing on major roads, school
searches and compliance inspections at local petrol stations. The safety
operations covered high-risk schools including Masisebenzi, Bokamoso and
Tembisa Secondary School. The intention was targeting key hotspot areas where
criminal activity occurs frequently and compromise community safety. 
“We are reclaiming what
belongs to us and South Africa is our country, we will defend it,” proclaimed
Premier Panyaza Lesufi. In his address, Mr. Panyaza Lesufi strongly warned all
perpetrators including illegal citizens, unlicensed liquor traders and drug
dealers that their days of lawlessness are numbered. He assured Gauteng
residents that there will be road blocks every month-end to enforce compliance
and safety in the province. 
The premier was joined by MECs,
Mayors, MMCs, Councilors, Municipal Managers, and Heads of Departments from all
over Gauteng in support of this powerful impactful movement. The Gauteng
Department of Community Safety together with all law enforcement agencies, the
Gauteng Department of Education as well as the Infrastructure Development and
Cooperative Government and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) were united in the same
spirit of uprooting crime in Gauteng. 
Premier Panyaza Lesufi and
the Gauteng Department of Community Safety declared that the Integrated Service
Delivery Operations will continue across the entire province to sustain safety
not only in Tembisa but Gauteng as a whole. This serves as the government’s
effort to forge a healthy relationship with Gauteng communities and restore
trust.
Rome was not built in one day. Indeed, the
government is sending a strong message that One operation at a time; Gauteng is
reclaiming its streets.