Johannesburg - South Africans must not buy stolen goods, not pay bribes and not take something that does not belong to them, Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Friday.
He was speaking at the Gauteng Provincial Social Cohesion Summit in Ekurhuleni.
"If we want to rid our society of crime, communities must fight crime and corruption wherever it manifests itself. We must not turn our homes and streets into safe havens for criminals," said Ramaphosa.
"Social cohesion can best be realised in a country in which all social partners work together to ensure that all our people are educated and have skills, in which all are employed, in which all enjoy a decent standard of living and in which all feel safe and secure."
He asked that Gauteng, as the province with the largest number of immigrants, leads the way in combating xenophobia in all its manifestations.
Some of the fault lines in SA's society must be addressed, in his opinion. He referred to the Diagnostic Report released by the National Planning Commission in 2011.
It states that "opportunity is not only defined by race, it also differs for men and women and for rural and urban dwellers. Language and ethnic background continue to divide South Africa, as does economic participation, because those who have work have access to income and opportunities that the unemployed do not have".
Ramaphosa said in SA one is reminded daily by the devastation of poverty, inequality and unemployment.
"The material conditions under which our people live represent the greatest challenge to the advancement of social cohesion," he said.
"In the exercise of this responsibility, government is investing heavily in building capabilities and promoting equality of opportunity. It is our firm determination that the circumstances of one’s birth should be no barrier to the achievement of one’s aspirations."
He pointed out that government cannot move SA forward alone and "seeks to work with all social partners to create an enabling environment for inclusive economic growth and job creation".
"There can be no social cohesion without a recognition and promotion of the equal rights of women and a concerted effort to improve their economic and social position," he said.