By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Police Minister, Senzo Mchunu, Premier Alan Winde and Cape Town Mayor, Geordin Hill-Lewis have signed a Cooperation Agreement in an effort to help combat lawlessness in the Western Cape.
The agreement would also lead to a programme to address sexual violence, gender-based violence and femicide.
The City of Cape Town often makes headlines for mass shootings, extortion and drug-related crimes.
Earlier on Friday, Mchunu released the crime statistics for the last quarter of the previous financial year and the first quarter of the current financial year, with the Western Cape province recording the highest increase in murder cases, putting the ratio of murders committed per capita in the province – that is, ratio per 100 000 of the population – at 15.3%.
Mchunu noted that this was a concern but he was confident that Saps was up to the task of overcoming it.
He highlighted that the new collaboration was grounded on several key objectives.
“Together, we will create a shared safer city and consequently, a safer South Africa vision, one that unites us in purpose and action. We will develop robust programmes and infrastructure to support crime prevention and law enforcement, enhancing the economic performance of our communities and ensuring that safety and prosperity go hand in hand,” he said.
Mchunu said the partnership would focus on building internal capacity, ensuring that the Saps, the provincial government through the Department of Police Oversight and Community Safety, the Metro Police and the City Law Enforcement Officers assisted by the Community Policing Forums (CPFs), and Neighbourhood Watches, cooperate in action, coordinate efforts, collaborate in practice, all within a framework of shared resources.
He expressed confidence in the Saps and other law enforcement agencies in the Western Cape and in the City of Cape Town.
President Cyril Ramaphosa, in attendance at the signing, pointed out that the collaboration formed part of efforts to improve policing and community safety for all Cape Town residents, noting that the partnership pledged to make the best use of resources by the Saps, the provincial government and the City of Cape Town.
“We are committing to work more closely with community-based organisations and civil society structures in the fight against crime. Community-based organisations are working to make our communities safer, supporting survivors of crime, and providing invaluable services to our people,” he said.
Ramaphosa highlighted that under the new cooperation agreement, technology and resources, as well as information and best practice to improve the state of public policing would be shared.
He said the exchange of information on crime activity and suspects would make the province safer, while the exchange of information on new crime trends would ensure that the Saps were “one step ahead of criminals”.
He pointed out that last year government launched Operation Shanela, which brought together various law enforcement agencies to deal effectively with crime, noting that since March 2023 more than 820 000 suspects had been arrested for various offences, including murder, rape and kidnapping.
He explained that Operation Shanela was making its mark in the Western Cape, clamping down on illicit firearms.
Ramaphosa highlighted that during police operations in the province over a 12-month period more than 3 000 firearms were confiscated.
He added that the work of specialist task teams had resulted in more than 250 arrests for the spate of kidnappings that were on the rise across the country.
The cooperation agreement, he said, would be spread across the country, particularly in four provinces. He warned criminals that the government of national unity was on their heels. “Criminals start running, and run very fast, because our security forces are coming for you.”
Winde said it is an encouraging step towards more collaborative policing based on evidence and data.
He said: “For me, as we start this seventh administration, the time now is for less talk and more action. We need to stand together, as a government, to fight crime. The latest crime stats are sobering and devastating numbers, and show that the criminals need to be dealt with. This agreement is a big signal to criminals that we want to end this scourge of crime.”
Meanwhile four men were shot dead and four wounded during a shootout with police in an alleged extortion ring in Cape Town on Thursday.
The suspects were driving in a minibus taxi when the shootout ensued, in the vicinity of Rhemus Street, Phoenix.
Police reports indicate as police followed the vehicle with suspects they came under fire from the occupants of the vehicle which led to police shooting back.
As a result four suspects were shot dead and four others seriously wounded. The wounded suspects all from Cape Town aged 23, 30, 34 and 38 are under police guard in a medical facility. A number of firearms and rounds of ammunition were seized from the vehicle the suspects were travelling in.