The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about various challenges within the Safety and Security environment. The nation-wide lockdown has resulted in the curbing of various civil liberties enshrined within the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa and has required swift responses from the safety and security sector. These security responses have occurred within a broader human rights approach and the collaboration with civil society has been indispensable especially in mitigating the impact of the lockdown on vulnerable groups. The disaster management measures that have been imposed have met with some community resistance, however, in general, societal sectors have collaborated well.
The work of the safety and security sector is critical to ensure the orderly provision of essential services to communities during the national lockdown.
Indications are that COVID-19 will continue to spread across the world and that the most important action that we can all take, is to slow down the rate of infection in order to provide our health services time to prepare, test communities and develop a vaccine. I encourage members to do all they can to “flatten the curve” and protect our communities.
Together we will get through this.
NJ Mabunda
President: Institute for Municipal Public Safety of Southern Africa (IMPS-SA)
20 April 2020