Yesterday, the Western Cape Government (WCG), the City of Cape Town (CoCT) and the Hanns Seidel Foundation (HSF) launched a new project at the Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation aimed at improving safety partnerships in the city and province.
The initiative is funded by the provincial government’s long-standing German partner province, the Free State of Bavaria, and will run until May 2025. The project aims to strengthen data-driven and evidence-based policing approaches by forging strong partnerships among various law enforcement agencies, including the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the National Prosecution Authority (NPA).
Also read: “Crime in Cape Town needs serious intervention,” says Action Society
According to a statement issued by the Western Cape government, the Memorandum of Understanding signed yesterday extends and strengthens existing relations, which were first signed in 2018, with the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) serving as the primary implementation partner.
‘We must utilise this partnership and others to make our communities safer so our citizens and economy can prosper,’ said Premier Alan Winde at the signing ceremony.
He added, ‘Relationships like this are driven by the need to seek justice and offer our citizens dignity through safety. Apart from the partnerships we have with local authorities, we must double down on our commitments and also seek out new partnerships at home and abroad. We are constantly learning how to improve policing in the Western Cape. This can only be done through our evidence-based and data-led methodology, the backbone of the Western Cape Safety Plan.’
At the same event, the WCG and HSF renewed their long-standing collaboration on strengthening local government capacity, as well as their support for research focusing on key municipal challenges.
‘This project is partnership-driven and based on years of cooperation between the Western Cape, its German partner province of Bavaria and the Hanns Seidel Foundation,’ explained Hanns Bühler, Resident Representative of the Hanns Seidel Foundation. ‘We are honoured to cooperate with our committed partners, the WCG, CoCT, SAPS and others.’
He explained that the rule of law is important for South Africans’ safety and security, as well as for job creation and that it is a critical cornerstone of democracy.
He said, ‘It needs to be protected and strengthened. This can be achieved through partnerships, leadership and professional law enforcement.’
‘This initiative equips law enforcement agencies to evaluate their own performance and encourages understanding of socio-economic and environmental factors that drive crime and the identification of crime hotspots,’ said ISS’s Dr Andrew Faull.
Western Cape Police Oversight and Community Safety Minister Reagen Allen said, ‘This signing is significant and demonstrates how the WCG continues to work closely with both local and international partners.’
Minister Allen added, ‘Their insights and expertise are invaluable as they relate to both domestic and foreign safety matters. Their investment in our country and particularly our province can only stand us in good stead as we tackle crime across our communities. May this partnership grow from strength to strength.’
Also read:
Picture: Unsplash