The Western Cape Department of Police Oversight and Community Safety (POCS) reported that at least 10 gender-based violence (GBV) cases in Kraaifontein were removed from the court roll within six months due to police inefficiencies resulting from heavy workloads.
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According to News24, these 10 cases were part of a group of 243 cases from 58 police stations across the province monitored by the department’s Court Watching Briefs (CWB) unit between April 2023 and September 2023. Among the total cases observed, 89 were related to GBV and were withdrawn for various reasons, such as missing dockets, incomplete investigations, failure to subpoena witnesses, or the accused not appearing in court.
In Kraaifontein, GBV cases removed from the court roll at Blue Down’s Magistrates’ Court included one attempted murder, six assaults, and three violations of protection orders.
Reagen Allen, the Western Cape minister of police oversight and community safety, expressed deep concern over the statistics, emphasising the urgent need to put an end to the persistent gender-based violence (GBV) affecting society.
He criticised the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the broader criminal justice system for failing vulnerable individuals in communities. Allen highlighted that the reported cases, although monitored by the department’s Court Watching Briefs (CWB) unit, may not fully reflect the extent of the problem, indicating a systemic issue that requires immediate attention.
The CWB unit, established in 2013 under the auspices of POCS, aims to strengthen oversight of the police as mandated by Section 206(3) of the Constitution. It has since been adopted by all provinces in the country to assess the effectiveness of police investigations.
Allen acknowledges that police officers face overwhelming workloads, often tasked with investigating more than 200 dockets, which hampers their effectiveness as investigators and fails to serve the victims adequately. However, he emphasises that this does not excuse their failure to uphold their oath and fulfil their constitutional duties.
In response to instances where police members are found lacking, disciplinary action has been taken. In the coming weeks, Allen plans to engage with both the Western Cape provincial police commissioner, Lt Gen Thembisile Patekile, and the Western Cape director of public prosecutions, Advocate Nicolette Bell, to identify areas for improvement and prevent similar outcomes in the future.
Allen stresses the importance of addressing the pain, suffering, and injustice endured by victims of gender-based violence and advocating for recourse for these individuals. Based on the findings, recommendations have been made, including the development of an improvement plan by the police to reduce the number of cases struck off the roll due to inefficiencies.
He emphasises that the aim of oversight is not merely compliance but to drive better service delivery. It is crucial for the police to be credible and trustworthy, delivering professional and high-standard service that ultimately protects and serves individuals profoundly affected by crime.
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