Mitchells Plain CPF denies smear campaign against Brigadier Muller amid community support

The Mitchells Plain Community Policing Forum (CPF) refutes claims that it has engineered a smear campaign against the station commander, Brigadier Brian Muller while residents have begun an online petition in his support. The petition begun by national movement Fight Against Crime SA (FACSA) is also calling for the CPF to be dissolved.

The Mitchells Plain CPF executive responded via a statement when approached by Cape Argus, and defended the structure stating the claims were untrue: "The MPCPF maintains that the claims are completely false, inaccurate, totally devoid of any truth and is borderline defamatory of the good name and reputation of the MPCPF and it's members.

"We have always been willing to work closely with Brigadier Brian Muller, like we have worked with all the previous station commanders, including Brigadier Goolam, Brigadier Dyantyi, Brigadier Alexander and Brigadier Hartzenberg.

"We can however confirm that the SAPS Provincial Commissioner is busy with an investigation regarding the Station Commander’s refusal to work with us, [the CPF Executive who was duly elected on 21 January 2025] as required by the SAPS Act and the CPF constitution."

In the petition, FACSA argued that  the CPF was working against the leadership: “Mitchells Plain is no stranger to gang violence; it’s still high and tearing families apart. But if anyone has shown real grit to take it on, it’s Brigadier Brian Muller. Since he took command, policing has become more visible, response times faster, and trust in SAPS slowly rebuilt. He’s a people-first leader who meets residents where they are and acts, not talks.

“Yet instead of working with him, the Mitchells Plain CPF has turned into a battlefield of politics and personal agendas. Their constant attacks and smear campaign against Brigadier Muller are reckless and destructive. Even worse, management structures that should’ve intervened have allowed this nonsense to carry on, damaging cooperation between SAPS and the community and putting safety at risk.

“We, the residents of Mitchells Plain, call for the immediate dissolution of the current CPF leadership and accountability from every structure that enabled this breakdown.”

Lentegeur CPF chairperson, Michael Jacobs, was also approached for comment but said he could not say anything at this stage.

SAPS Provincial Commander Colonel Andrè Traut said : "The management of the South African Police Service in the Western Cape is aware of the matter referred to in your enquiry. The circumstances surrounding the matter are currently the subject of an internal review. As the process is still at a preliminary stage, no further details can be shared at this time."

Mitchells Plain activist Lynn Philipps of the Cape Flats Safety Forum (CPSF) added they had observed Muller’s character and leadership in tackling the escalation of gang violence in the community and believes he is on the right path to bring stabilisation to the area. “I want to indicate that Mitchell’s Plain precinct faces a drastic increase in serious and violent crimes committed by gangs. We further observed that it is mostly young people in gangs, women, and children caught in the crossfire or disputes amongst people.

“We observed that the Acting Station Commander is a very active member of police doing everything in his power to minimise gang violence in the precinct. He also mobilised community volunteers to assist and do community mobilisation with neighbourhood watch members and safety structures that support him.”

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Cape Argus