Statement by Premier Alan Winde; Western Cape crime requires multi-pronged approach which should include SANDF peacekeeping
1 July 2019
On Friday, Minister of Police, Bheki Cele was quoted in the press as saying that the crime situation in the Western Cape is not bad enough to warrant the deployment of the army to the province.
Would Minister Cele dare say this to the families and loved ones of the 2302 people who have been murdered in the province between November 2018, when the anti-gang unit was launched, and May this year?
Several community policing forums, which are on the ground each day and face the day-to-day reality of protecting their communities against violence, have called for the deployment of the SANDF in order to tackle the recent spike in gang violence on the Cape Flats.
Turf wars, and gun battles take place on the streets of these communities on a daily basis, with innocent residents, some of whom are children, getting caught in the crossfire. People live in fear for their lives.