City of Cape Town calls for enhanced policing powers ahead of SONA

As President Cyril Ramaphosa arrives in Cape Town to deliver the State of the Nation Address (SONA), the City has renewed its call for greater policing powers for municipal law enforcement officers, saying the move is necessary to strengthen the fight against gang, gun and drug-related crime.

Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis said the City’s officers were capable of playing a larger role in investigations and case preparation, but remained limited by the absence of devolved investigative authority.

“There is so much preventable suffering in our gang-impacted communities due to extremely low conviction rates for illegal firearm, drug and gang-related cases,” Hill-Lewis said.

He said the City believed outcomes could be improved if metro police were allowed to assist the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) by building prosecution-ready case dockets. Hill-Lewis cited City figures indicating that hundreds of illegal firearms are removed from the streets each year, but that convictions in these cases remain low.

According to the mayor, national government has the ability to address the situation both by strengthening SAPS capacity and by introducing statutory reforms to allow for the devolution of certain investigative powers to municipal police.

Hill-Lewis said the City had sought further engagement with the Acting Police Minister, Professor Firoz Cachalia on the issue during the SONA period, but had not yet secured a follow-up meeting.

He said the City was now looking to the President to provide clarity and direction on the matter, adding that legal options remained under consideration should progress continue to stall.

The City’s push for devolved policing powers has been ongoing for several years, intensifying as violent crime linked to gangs and illegal firearms persists in parts of Cape Town. City officials have argued that while municipal officers are making arrests and confiscating weapons and drugs, the absence of investigative authority limits their ability to ensure cases progress through the criminal justice system.

Hill-Lewis said the City had submitted formal comments on draft national regulations dealing with municipal policing powers during a public participation process last year, but that these proposals had yet to result in changes. The City’s submission, published as part of the national consultation process, remains publicly available.

The mayor also pointed to what he described as inconsistencies in the pace of policing reform nationally, noting that pilot initiatives involving crime wardens in Gauteng had received support, while no timelines had been communicated for similar arrangements in Cape Town. He said this had raised concerns within the City about unequal treatment, a view he described as long-standing.

Mayco Member for Safety and Security JP Smith said the City believed it could help ease pressure on the criminal justice system if allowed to play a broader role.

“We simply have to be allowed to step in and help if we are to achieve the change our communities need,” Smith said. “Communities affected by violent crime cannot afford further delays.”

Queries to the City regarding law enforcement and logistics for SONA were referred to the police as the lead agency but the national SAPS declined to comment at this stage. “The South African Police Service will be releasing a media statement in due course,” said SAPS National Communications officer Amanda van Wyk.

Get your news on the go, click here to join the Cape Argus News WhatsApp channel.

Cape Argus