Cape Town - The Social Justice Coalition (SJC) marched to Parliament to hand over a memorandum of demands to Police Minister Bheki Cele and National Police Commissioner Khehla Sitole while the crime statistics were being released.
SJC activists said despite a cabinet decision in 2016 to release the police crime statistics quarterly, and the chair of the portfolio committee of police welcoming that announcement, the government has continued to release station-level statistics once a year.
SJC deputy general secretary Mandisa Dyatyi said they demanded that the police implement and provide nationwide guidelines for the policing of informal settlements.
“We are not free in our own homes, we are prisoners. We fear criminals,” said Dyatyi.
Dyatyi said the Civilian Secretariat for Police’s analysis of resource allocation focuses on the allocation of human resources and vehicles to police precincts, but it also reveals a police service that often is not where it needs to be because it asks the wrong questions and uses the wrong data to inform deployment.
The memorandum was accepted by Sitole and Cele’s adviser, Lennit Max.
Sitole promised the marchers he would hand the memorandum to Cele, who, he said had declared crime against women and children a high priority.
“As you are here you are a priority. We are here to listen to you and take what you came to give us and respond within the given time,” he said.
SJC general secretary Axolile Notywala, while handing over the memorandum, said they demanded that the minister of police and national police com missioner show leadership and act immediately.
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