In a comment on the escalating gang violence that plagues the Cape Flats, Democratic Alliance (DA) Member of Parliament and chair of the Portfolio Committee on Police, Ian Cameron, reported nearly 40 murders and over 35 attempted murders in just one week, from 17 to 23 November.
The statistics included three mass shootings, which Cameron believes justifies urgent calls for reform in the South African Police Service’s (SAPS) policing model, Cape {town} Etc reports.
Cameron did not mince his words regarding the current situation: ‘If SAPS cannot stabilise the situation, what possible justification is there for refusing to devolve more policing authority to the City of Cape Town and to the Western Cape Government?’
He expressed frustration at the centralised policing power in Pretoria, asserting that it is becoming increasingly untenable.
‘This is not a constitutional debate, it is a practical one. Lives depend on an honest assessment of what is working and what is not,’ Cameron added, emphasising the urgent need for local authorities to have more control in a region where they could implement effective strategies against crime.
Further compounding concerns over gang violence, in September acting Police Minister Professor Firoz Cachalia recently acknowledged the South African Government’s lack of a robust plan to tackle the crisis during a stakeholder engagement in Mitchells Plain and Mfuleni.
In his address, he painted a grim picture of the ongoing violence, declaring, ‘The country is under siege by criminals, by gangs, and they are the ones who are selling drugs, making a fortune by the way.’
Highlighting the complexities faced by the police, Cachalia noted the evolution of gang operations into sophisticated entities that sometimes involve high-ranking officials.
‘These groups are no longer just minor factions; they operate like big businesses,’ he stated.
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Picture: Jaco Marais / Gallo Images
