Inter-governmental crime committee must urgently convene

The shootings in Gugulethu on Monday that killed 7 people highlight the dire need for more policing resources from the South African Police Service by National Government to urgently and effectively stem the tide on rampant and violent crimes in the province. This follows the undertaking of national SAPS, led by Minister Bheki Cele, to establish an inter-governmental steering committee to tackle crime, as agreed to in October.

This has yet to convene to prevent and manage such criminal activities.

MPP Reagen Allen says: “Although the motive behind this particular shooting is still unclear and that an investigation is underway, the slow intervention of the National Police Service in following several cases of extortion and perpetuation of such violent crimes is a cause for major concern which we previously raised back in September.

I condemn these shootings in the strongest terms and call on SAPS to appropriately align their plan and resources to policing needs and priorities in the province. At the next meeting of the Community Safety Standing Committee, we will rigorously interrogate these plans and ensure that it is aligned the best interests of the safety of the people of the Western Cape.

I have further noted politically-charged comments which seek to lay the blame for this tragedy at the feet of the provincial government. This is exceptionally opportunistic and disingenuous, given that without a clear plan of action, supplemented with sufficient resources, communities in the province are left without the necessary protection against crime, as set in the role of the national SAPS in the Constitution.”

For the 2019/20 financial year, the Gugulethu SAPS station handled 1.9% of violent crimes in the province. A reply to a parliamentary question revealed that for the last financial year, Gugulethu remained in the top 15 for handling the most violent crimes in the Western Cape since 2016. Yet we have not seen commitment from Minister Cele to meet needs where they are found most desperately needed.

MPP Allen concluded: “The Western Cape Government has identified 11 crime priority areas, including the Gugulethu precinct and has provided additional crime fighting resources under its safety plan to supplement the role of SAPS. With the deployment of area based teams, crime has significantly been stabilised but the efforts undertaken but the WCG depends on full operation of SAPS and its services.

A long-term solution to effectively deter criminal activities in our communities is the devolution of policing resources and management to capable provinces and municipalities. This is the offer the DA makes, as it would lead to policing that matches the needs on the ground, not determined from afar in Pretoria.”