A commission of inquiry's findings on policing in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, are not insightful, the Congress of SA Trade Unions (Cosatu) said.
Cosatu in the Western Cape said in a statement it was self-evident that most townships struggled with crime and police were chronically under-resourced.
“In that respect the commission has not provided any insights that are new or particularly revealing,” it said.
“It has just confirmed that R13 million could have gone a long way to actually address the problems.”
Cosatu accused the commission of being “clearly political” by apparently exposing the SA Police Service rather than providing relief to the poor.
Cosatu was disappointed that the commission had not come up with a plan to respond to crime.
“We can, however, learn from the results of the commission, which points to the need for huge improvements in the poorest areas, not only in the Western Cape, but in most areas across the country.”
The Khayelitsha Commission of Inquiry handed over its 580-page report with recommendations on Monday afternoon.
The commissioners, former Constitutional Court judge Kate O'Regan and advocate Vusi Pikoli, found there was a breakdown in relations between residents and police officers in the area, characterised by a significant level of distrust among residents.
It also listed 11 inefficient policing behaviours that had been identified since Western Cape premier Helen Zille established the commission two years ago.
In a handover statement on Monday, O'Regan and Pikoli asked that comment on the report not be aimed at engaging in a “transient dialogue focused on political point-scoring”.
To do so would not advance the strategic goals of improving the safety of people who worked and lived in Khayelitsha, they said.
It was also noted that the commission acknowledged officers who provided a professional policing service in the area despite difficult circumstances.
Sapa