Cape Town - As thousands of South Africans across the country observed Youth Day 2022, various government departments ventured into local communities to commemorate the day, observed nationally in tribute to the June 16 uprising.
In Khayelitsha, the National Police Ministry was at the Khayelitsha Response Summit, Khayelitsha campus, to attend an interactive multi-sectoral engagement with various government departments and civil society organisations in response to the high incidence of contact crimes reported in the township.
Held at the False Bay College, the event was hosted by the Khayelitsha Development Forum (KDF) in conjunction with Police Minister Bheki Cele and Deputy Minister Cassel Mathale, provincial police commissioner Lieutenant-General Thembisile Patekile, and Police Oversight and Community Safety MEC Reagen Allen.
KDF chairperson Ndithini Tyido said the response summit also facilitated the input of local community policing forums (CPFs), the provincial human rights commission, and local councillors from all 12 wards in the community, as well as faith leaders.
“The summit was a KDF initiative to create or craft a bonafide Khayelitsha response to the crime crisis that we are facing in our community. Resolutions were made, which we will compile into an implementable report and then table it at a community imbizo on July 18.”
Community Safety and Police Oversight MEC Reagen Allen stressed the department’s intentions on fostering a conducive relationship with police and community safety structures in response to increasing crime trends in local communities.
Allen said: “If we are not going stand together with communities, ultimately we will see the perpetuation of crime. So I am saying that we want to work together with SAPS, we are determined to work together, and we will put aside funding like we have done with the Leap officers to put more boots on the ground to compensate for the under-resourcing within SAPS.”
Meanwhile, Police Minister Bheki Cele’s spokesperson Lirandzu Themba said the Youth Day multi-sectoral engagement provided the police ministry with the opportunity to engage community policing structures, the youth and residents of Khayelitsha to come up with cross-sectoral and cross-departmental solutions on what can be done to bring stability and lasting change to the lives of Khayelitsha residents.
#PoliceMinistry Police Ministry commends the commitment by the community of Khayelitsha for choosing to be active participants in the collective fight against crime. On #YouthDay, the Khayelitsha Development Forum (KDF) hosted a Crisis Response Summit. NPhttps://t.co/6rppnZaqQd pic.twitter.com/arz8VdN1xo
— SA Police Service 🇿🇦 (@SAPoliceService) June 17, 2022
WATCH: Khayelitsha Crisis Response Summit led by the Minister of Police. https://t.co/kFqHX0C4co
— SA Police Service 🇿🇦 (@SAPoliceService) June 16, 2022