During the reporting periods spanning April to September 2023, the Court Watching Briefs (CWB) unit of the Western Cape Department of Police Oversight and Community Safety (POCS) revealed that 243 cases were removed from the court roll due to inefficiencies within the South African Police Service (SAPS).
These cases were monitored during this period at 25 courts and linked to 58 South African Police Services (SAPS) stations across the province, according to a press statement released by the Western Cape Government.
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This consists of 63 cases monitored during the first quarter at 8 courts, covering 21 SAPS stations, and 180 during the second quarter at 17 courts, covering 37 SAPS stations.
Of the 63 cases monitored during quarter one, 26 (41.3%) were related to gender-based violence (GBV), while in quarter two, 63 (35%) of the 180 cases accounted for GBV.
This brings it to a total of 89 GBV-related cases of the 243 cases.
Of the 89 cases:
- 34 cases were withdrawn because the dockets were not at court
- 53 cases were withdrawn because the investigation was incomplete
- 1 witness was not subpoenaed
- 1 accused was not brought to court
In accordance with Section 206(3) of the Constitution, POCS established the CWB Unit to improve their capacity to ‘perform oversight of the SAPS.’ Both reports have been shared with the SAPS.
The courts that were monitored are located in Khayelitsha, Athlone, Wynberg, Mitchells Plain, Bellville, Blue Downs, Philippi, Kuils River, Atlantis, Paarl, Mossel Bay, Oudtshoorn, Thembalethu (George), Laingsburg, George, Knysna and Beaufort West.
The SAPS stations attached to these cases are Kuils River, Manenberg, Athlone, Philippi, Khayelitsha, Harare, Gugulethu, Durbanville, Delft, Lingelethu West, Kraaifontein, Nyanga, Manenberg, Steenberg, Kirstenhof, Ravensmead, Lansdowne, Grassy Park, Philippi East, Mitchells Plain, Kleinvlei, Samora Machel, Mfuleni, Parow, Atlantis, Mbekweni, Paarl East, Groot Brakrivier, KwaNonqaba, Oudtshoorn, De Rust, Conville (George), Laingsburg, Pacaltsdorp (George), Knysna and Beaufort West.
‘The way SAPS, and by extension the entire criminal justice system, is failing these individuals, often amongst the most vulnerable in our communities, will never be acceptable,’ said Reagen Allen, Western Cape minister of police oversight and community safety.
‘It is further concerning that these are just the cases we have monitored and might not paint a full picture of the reality. The criminal justice system has to do better,’ Allen added.
The WC’s CWB was initiated in 2013 and has been ‘adopted by all other provinces in the country’, to ascertain the effectiveness and efficiency of SAPS’ investigations, according to Allen.
‘Many SAPS officers have excessive workloads, having more than 200 dockets to investigate, which does not help them as investigators, nor the persons who have been violated,’ said Allen.
Allen has further stated that he will be engaging with both SAPS Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Thembisile Patekile and Western Cape Director of Public Prosecutions Advocate Nicolette Bell to gain insight into possible improvements to prevent ‘these types of results’ from reoccurring.
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