Cape Town - The Democratic Alliance (DA) on Wednesday welcomed Cape Town Mayor Dan Plato’s announcement that the city has committed an additional R165.2 million to safety and security to help fight crime in the Cape Metro.
This adjustment budget will be tabled during a full council sitting on Thursday.
DA Western Cape Provincial Leader, Bonginkosi Madikizela said: “I am extremely pleased to see the Western Cape government and the City of Cape Town partnering to allocate an additional R165.2 million towards safety and security in the Cape Metro. This will mean approximately 100 extra law enforcement officers and almost 40 additional vehicles serving our city.”
At a press conference on Wednesday, Western Cape community safety MEC and DA premier candidate Alan Winde, along with mayoral committee member, JP Smith welcomed Plato’s announcement.
During the announcement, Plato said: “When I was elected as mayor in November, I committed to visiting our communities and hearing first-hand what they wanted from the City of Cape Town. The response was not unexpected due to the limitations placed on policing in this city by the national government.
“As the City of Cape Town, however, I believe there is more that we can do to increase safety in our communities and that is why we are allocating an additional R165 million to the safety and security directorate in our annual adjustments budget,” he said.
Plato added that the money will be able to increase visible policing presence in vulnerable communities and invest even more funds into much-needed capital projects like fire stations.
“This is just the start of our efforts to increase safety levels in our communities. I want to see even more budget allocated to our enforcement agencies and rescue services in the next financial year, and the public will get to have their say when we publish our annual budget in March this year.”
The allocation of R165.2 million comprises capital expenditure of R42.2 million and operating expenditure of R123 million. Among the planned capital projects that will benefit from this added injection, are for an upgrade of the Ndabeni vehicle pound, additional funding for the Somerset West Fire Station and recruitment of additional law enforcement officers.
"The staff in our Safety and Security Directorate provide an invaluable contribution to safety in our city, in spite of very trying circumstances. In the previous financial year, they contended with an unprecedented increase in land invasions and protest action, worked tirelessly to patrol the streets amid ongoing gang violence, worked non-stop to plan for the potential impact of one of the worst droughts on record as well as an increase in attacks on staff," added Plato.