Court finds that ANC government discriminates against black, poor Western Cape residents on police resourcing
14 December 2018
Minister of Community Safety, Alan Winde, welcomed today’s Western Cape High Court order which confirmed that the national government is discriminating against poor and black Western Cape residents in how it allocates police resources. This vindicates the provincial government’s view that the ANC is deliberately prejudicing residents in our province by refusing to adequately address crime here.
On an application brought by Social Justice Coalition, Equal Education and the Nyanga Policing Forum, the High Court further said that the system that is being used to allocate police resourcing is also unfairly discriminating against poor and black people in the Western Cape.
The remedy has been postponed to a later date.
Minister Winde said: “Minister Cele, you don’t need to wait for the court to give you the remedy – we’ve told you what it is, and it is 4500 extra police officers. You can act now by beefing up our police service so it can effectively do its job. If you fail to act, we will pursue the highest courts in the land to remove the responsibility of policing from you. Because we care about our residents, we know that a provincial police force would deliver this service better.”
Minister Winde continued: “I commend the organisations which brought this application. They have fought a hard battle for justice, and won. Minister of Police, Bheki Cele, and the ANC-led government now have nowhere to hide. We will leave no stone unturned in holding them accountable for giving us the police officers we deserve.
In the interim, our R5 million offer of payment for SAPS reservists can immediately help relieve the pressure that SAPS officers are under, but we are still waiting for Minister Cele to respond to our offer.
Our police service must receive the necessary support and resources to make it effective in carrying out its mandate of keeping our people safe. For too long, this province has been prejudiced by a vindictive national government, at the expense of families who have suffered pain and anguish as a result of crime.”
Our demand is for a #SaferWesternCape.
Issued by Marcellino Martin, Spokesperson for Minister Alan Winde, 14 December 2018
