If we continue to work together as government, the business community, labour and civil society, we can take back our homes, our businesses, our communities and our streets from criminals. This includes our response to new types of crime that include illicit mining and construction site extortion, kidnappings for ransom and more sophisticated drug manufacturing and smuggling operations.

Listen to this article 5 min Listen to this article 5 min Crime and violence have become so common in our country that many South Africans often despair of us ever stopping it. It is no surprise that every time we hear another story of a robbery or a murder or a rape, we find ourselves asking why nothing can be done to tackle crime.

A recent update by the South African Police Service (SAPS) on Operation Shanela should give us encouragement that the fight against crime is gaining momentum.

Operation Shanela, which was launched last year, is a high-density initiative to enhance visible policing and to find wanted suspects, particularly those accused of murder and sex crimes.

Importantly, Operation Shanela is a multisectoral crimefighting strategy. It is driven by the SAPS with the support of the South African National Defence Force, national and provincial traffic authorities, metro police departments, the Department of Home Affairs, the South African Revenue Service and the National Prosecuting Authority.

It draws heavily on collaboration with community policing forums (CPFs) and community patrollers, and works with private security companies.

Through roadblocks, stop-and-search operations, foot patrols and business compliance inspections, Operation Shanela's teams have made important...