Cachalia's urgent action plan against gang violence in the Western Cape ahead of SONA

Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia has begun a series of engagements in the Western Cape ahead of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address (SONA), as the South African Police Service (SAPS) prepares to revise its strategy to address gang violence and organised crime in the province.

According to SAPS, the engagements form part of the Minister’s programme in the lead-up to SONA. The police said the Western Cape continues to be affected by persistent gang violence and organised crime, which have destabilised communities and endangered lives.

SAPS confirmed that a stabilisation plan developed in September last year following consultations with provincial stakeholders “requires more time to take effect as well as some adjustments”.

The police said they are finalising a revised stabilisation plan that will place emphasis on the enhanced deployment of specialised units, in addition to the existing Anti-Gang Unit, to areas most affected by gang-related violence. The approach is intended to improve operational capability, increase police visibility and strengthen intelligence-driven policing in identified hotspots.

As part of his programme, Cachalia has met, and is expected to meet, several civil society, religious and community-based organisations, including the Muslim Judicial Council and the Cape Crime Crisis Coalition (C4). He is also expected to meet Western Cape Premier Alan Winde, as well as stakeholders in Kayamandi and Cloetesville in Stellenbosch in the coming weeks.

In remarks made during a crime-focused engagement in Nelson Mandela Bay earlier this week, Cachalia addressed the broader challenge of organised crime in the region. “I do not believe we are currently in a position to defeat this crime,” he said. “They are on a killing spree in the Western Cape, with a similar pattern emerging in the Eastern Cape.”

He added that establishing anti-gang units on an intermittent basis amounted to an ad hoc response and said he was awaiting a comprehensive strategy from SAPS.

The City of Cape Town has meanwhile renewed its call for the devolution of certain policing powers to municipal law enforcement. Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis said the City believes its officers are capable of playing a larger role in investigations and case preparation, but remain 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 national government has the authority to strengthen SAPS capacity and to introduce statutory reforms that would allow for the devolution of certain investigative powers to municipal police. Hill-Lewis said the City had sought further engagement with Cachalia during the SONA period but had not yet secured a follow-up meeting. He added that legal options remain under consideration should there be no progress.

Mayco Member for Safety and Security JP Smith said the City believed it could help ease pressure on the criminal justice system if permitted 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.

Calls have also been made for violent crime in the Western Cape to be declared a national disaster. Premier Alan Winde has previously stated that the authority to declare a disaster rests with national government, as crime prevention and law enforcement are national competencies.

“Our legal team has given us all the opportunity and advice, but we can’t because it has to come from national,” Winde said.

Rev Dr Llewellyn MacMaster, chairperson of C4, has described the levels of violence as a “sustained humanitarian emergency that local systems cannot contain” and has urged national government to consider additional interventions.

With SONA set to be delivered in Cape Town on Thursday evening, it remains to be seen whether the address will outline any changes in policing strategy, resource allocation or legislative reform affecting the Western Cape.

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