Cape Town - Western Cape Community Safety MEC Albert Fritz on Thursday called on the South African Police Service (SAPS) to work more closely with the local Neighbourhood Watch (NHW) structures, following a series of attacks aimed at NHW members in some areas in Cape Town.
According to Fritz, recent reports outlined how a Delft NHW member fled attacks by a group of men who then proceeded to stone his home. SAPS reportedly did not respond to the call out.
Previously on September 25, a family member of a NHW member was shot multiple times while walking home.
Fritz said his department had further received reports of similar incidents in Gugulethu, where a member was shot while patrolling.
“I call on the SAPS to work in a more coordinated and responsive manner with their local NHW structures. Ultimately, the role of a NHW is to act as the eyes and ears of the SAPS. Whilst the work that NHWs do in reporting incidents to SAPS does in fact lighten their load, NHW structures should not respond to crime in place of the SAPS,” Fritz said.
“As per the Constitution, SAPS are the primary agent responsible for crime prevention. My department will through its routine assessments of police stations, inquire as to the level of support and engagement between local NHW structures at their SAPS police station,” he added.
A further two cases were reported to the department with regards to the relationship between NHW and SAPS. A NHW member from Lentegeur was recently arrested whilst patrolling near a suspected merchant’s home. The department has activated a Court Watching Brief on this matter. A similar incident was reported over the past weekend at the Tafelsig Base Camp.
“I further support NHW structures' calls, particularly within the Delft community, to extend the patrol of law enforcement in the area. To that end, I will liaise with the City of Cape Town on solutions to further safeguard the brave women and men who selflessly and tirelessly patrol our communities.
“Going forward, the Premier’s Safety Plan further requires that our approaches to safety should be led by data and technology. To that end, my department is rolling out the use of Microsoft Kaizala, a secure messaging and work management software application which allows collaboration with others in NHW structures, to ensure better information sharing and gathering,” Fritz said.