Cape Town - Premier Alan Winde’s newly revealed strategy in fighting crime in the province received a cautious
welcome from the ANC Western Cape, which said the move was “a delayed re-awakening to the fact that crime in the province needs an activist
government”.
Winde is planning to spend R1billion a year to fight crime and prevent violence in what he has called “the most comprehensive and expensive safety plan in the history of the province”.
The money, which is to be taken from other parts of the provincial budget, will likely affect other services that communities expect to have delivered, will pay for, among other things, the recruitment, training and deployment of 3000 new law enforcement officers and 150 investigators who will be needed to prepare dockets for prosecution.
Ronalda Nalumango, the ANC’s interim provincial co-ordinator, said they were apprehensive “that the geographical spread of the 3000 law enforcement officers and what resources would be at their disposal per areas of concern is unclear”.
The leader of the opposition in the legislature, the ANC’s Cameron Dugmore, said: “All genuine initiatives to combat crime and violence need to be welcomed.”
However, he added that the strategy should support communities
affected by crime by involving them directly.
“My concern is that there is no detail about the specific plan and resource allocation to areas like Mitchells Plain, Khayelitsha, Delft and Philippi,” said Dugmore.
Speaking on behalf of the Good party, Brett Herron, said while the party welcomed the move,
“the premier’s safety plan is too
much hyperbole and not enough
strategy”.
Herron said: “I think it is important to acknowledge the premier’s attempt at addressing violence and crime in our province.
“This is the right thing to do.
“However, a plan that is not embedded in a holistic strategy
with clear outcomes is in danger of chasing meaningless quick-wins.”
Meanwhile, Andrew Faull, a senior researcher on the Justice and Violence Prevention Programme at the Institute for Security Studies, said it was “an excellent-sounding plan”.
He said the dual focus on law enforcement and primary violence prevention was something that had been missing from national responses to crime and violence (at least at an implementation level), and which was necessary for success.
“This is one of the surest ways to reduce serious violence over the short term, and is something the SAPS and national government have been unable to address,” said Faull.
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