The Minister of Community Safety in the Western Cape, Albert Fritz, has called for more policing resources in the province after several murders took place over the weekend. Four people were killed in Wellington, while Mfuleni police are currently investigating the disappearance of four young men who were allegedly involved in a mob justice attack. Police also discovered two unidentified bodies while searching for the men.
According to Fritz, crime on the streets of the Western cape is outrageous, and as local Government, they are demanding greater policing resources so that the SAPS can be more effective in fighting crime.
“We are determined to bring down these figures, and we are going to fight every fight that we have to in order to do just that. Practically, I am going to instruct my department to follow up on all these cases as far as we can in terms of our current powers,” Fritz said.
The minister reiterated that the department of community safety had an advocate who works with gender-based violence cases in the Court Watching Brief Unit, and his hope is that he will assist in attaining justice for the 27-year old woman whose burning body was discovered in Paarl on Sunday, September 5.
“Our LEAP Officers are going to continue their work of bringing greater visible policing to our communities. But we need more SAPS resources in this province. That remains the unavoidable reality,” Fritz said.
Fritz added that in terms of national policing policy and legislation, policing is a competency of the national government, with provinces limited to playing an oversight role and the Provincial governments have no direct function in the management and operations of the SAPS.
“Constitutionally, the National Police Minister must set policing policy, but the Constitution also says that the Minister must take the policing needs and priorities of the provinces into account when forming policy. The Minister sits in Pretoria and we have to face the people. We can’t explain constitutional powers to grieving mothers when they look for answers from us about why criminals are running rampages in our streets. Things can’t go on like this,” Fritz mentioned.
Meanwhile, in an unrelated incident, a 41-year-old police Sergeant was gunned down in a driveway in Parow on Tuesday, September 7. According to several reports, the motive behind the murder is yet to be determined, as police are still combing the scene for any leads.
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