Winde slams Cele's claims about WC policing

WESTERN CAPE NEWS - Recent claims by Police Minister Bheki Cele that the Western Cape has the most policing resources in the country have had some politicians fuming and news and social media abuzz this week.

Speaking at a police imbizo in Mitchells Plain, Cape Town, on Friday 8 October, Cele stressed that the Western Cape is the province with the most resources in terms of policing.

He also blamed potholes for the increase in hijacking in the Western Cape, saying they lead to cars having to slow down, making them easy prey for hijackers.

He took particular offence at the province's claims of being under-resourced, saying the Western Cape is the most resourced with more than 200 additional members having been deployed to the province from other provinces and more than R300-million spent on special operations.

WC Premier concerned

Western Cape Premier Alan Winde has denied Cele's claims and in a joint statement with Provincial Minister Albert Fritz, said that they are concerned that Cele has refused to correct his misleading statement.

"Any person who lives in the Western Cape's crime hotspots knows all too well that there is not enough Saps support to fight crime, despite the hard work of many officers on the ground. This claim [by Cele] is deeply insulting to our poorest communities, which are in desperate need of more policing resources," the statement said.

According to Winde the province suffers an unacceptable police-to-population ratio in many of the crime hotspots and officers are not being deployed on an equitable basis throughout the province.

Province's detectives under severe strain

The Provincial Department of Community Safety recently conducted an assessment, finding that 48% of detectives in the Western Cape have a caseload of more than 200 dockets per person, which is 333% above the norm of 50 to 60. Currently there is a shortage of 548 detectives in the province, of which 142 posts remain vacant.

Vehicles in poor condition

During the 2018/19 financial year, the Provincial Department of Community Safety conducted a police station census project at 150 police stations in the province where it assessed the allocation of vehicles at a station level, using data from 60 stations. It was found that 59% or 940 of the 1 572 vehicles allocated to the 60 stations were in poor condition.

"Cele needs to stop the electioneering, and rather commit to properly resource the poorest communities of the Western Cape," said Winde.

Winde and Fritz to visit police stations in under-resourced communities

Winde and Fritz have embarked on a series of police station oversight visits in communities that have been left behind in terms of policing resource allocation.

The information gathered will be used to supplement a report on the needs and priorities of the province, which is sent to the national government. "I understand that Minister Cele has also already agreed to accompany members of the Western Cape Provincial Legislature on similar oversights, and we would support him doing so," said Winde.

Police Minister Bheki Cele