The Western Cape continues to be severely affected by ongoing gang violence and organised crime, which have destabilised communities and endangered lives. In response, police developed a stabilisation plan in September last year following extensive consultations with provincial stakeholders.

However, the plan requires additional time and refinements to achieve its intended impact. “This as the Western Cape continues to be severely affected by persistent gang violence and organised crime, which have destabilised communities and endangered lives,” said police ministry spokesperson Kamogelo Mogotsi.

Stakeholders

In September, following extensive consultations with provincial stakeholders, police developed a stabilisation plan to address these challenges, but it requires more time to take effect, while some adjustments are needed.

Acting police minister Firoz Cachalia has embarked on a series of engagements with a broad range of stakeholders ahead of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s state of the nation address (Sona) today. The discussions are aimed at addressing policing challenges in the Western Cape and strengthening safety measures across the province.

The City of Cape Town has, however, taken another approach. Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis has called on Ramaphosa to commit in Sona to devolving policing powers for city police to investigate gang, gun, and drug crime.

The time has come to end delays in granting more policing powers for city police to help the national police service and the NPA increase conviction rates for illegal firearms, drugs, and gang violence cases, Hill-Lewis said on Monday.

“There is so much preventable suffering in our gang-impacted communities due to extremely low conviction rates for illegal firearm, drug, and gang-related cases.

Resources

“While the acting police minister openly admits Saps don’t have the resources to defeat gangs, our well-trained officers stand immediately ready to help Saps by building prosecution-ready case dockets to increase convictions.”

City police officers already take more than 450 illegal guns off the streets annually, “but the conviction rate is just 5% in these cases due to the broken criminal justice system and under-resourced Saps and NPA”, the mayor said.

The president and acting police minister have the power to change this situation in various ways. That includes urgent resourcing of the police and, most immediately, devolving criminal investigative powers to well-trained city police via the necessary statutory reforms.’

Mogotsi said community engagement remains a key component of the national strategy. “The minister has met and will still be meeting with several civil society, religious, and community-based organisations, including the Muslim Judicial Council and Cape Crime Crisis Coalition (C4), among others, as part of government’s commitment to inclusive and community-centered policing.”

As part of his ongoing programme, Cachalia is expected to meet with Western Cape Premier Alan Winde, as well as stakeholders in Kayamandi and Cloetesville in Stellenbosch, in the coming weeks.

Sona

Meanwhile, police have confirmed preparations for Sona are complete. “All role players have commenced their respective responsibilities in line with their mandate, with law enforcement agencies having mobilised the necessary resources to enhance police visibility to prevent and combat opportunistic crime before, during, and after the address,” said national police spokesperson Brig. Athlenda Mathe.

Authorities said the reinforced deployments and revised strategy are aimed at restoring stability and rebuilding trust in communities hardest hit by gang violence.

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