WC community safety budget to address SAPS failures

26 March 2019

Today, Minister of Community Safety, Alan Winde tabled the Department’s 2019/20 budget in the Western Cape Provincial Parliament. The Department’s budget allocation increased with a nominal 4.99% to R359 301 million from R342 237 million during the 2018/19 financial year.

The budget consists of 4 programmes:

(i)  Administration - R97 788 million,

(ii) Civilian Oversight - R76 562 million

(iii)  Provincial Policing Functions - R56 559 million and

(iv)  Security Risk Management - R128 392 million.

Minister Winde said: “Residents of the Western Cape have completely been let down by the Minister of Police, Bheki Cele and the national ANC-led Government, as they have failed to address crime in the Province. Between November 2018 and February 2019, 1226 people were killed in the Province.

Although policing is entirely a national competency, this budget is being tabled to amongst others support all community volunteer safety structures, such as Neighbourhood Watches (NHW) and to enable Community Police Forums (CPF’s), to continue promoting good community police relations. 

The community volunteer safety structures have already demonstrated how effective they are in combatting crime. One of the few shining lights from the 2017/18 crime statistics, is that through their visibility and patrols in their communities, they reduced property related crimes, which includes residential- and business burglary and the theft of-and out of a motor vehicle by 6,8%.

NHW’s, which is part of programme 4, receives an allocation of R2.4 million. Minister Winde said: “I am excited about and look forward to the upcoming relaunch of the NHW programme, along with the new brand and ramped up support. I firmly believe that this will not only boost the current crop of almost 14 000 volunteers and 291 accredited structures that are already in the system, but will encourage other community members to also join this fantastic initiative.”

CPF’s, as part of programme 2’s community police relations receives an allocation of R5.7 million. Also part of programme 2 is the monitoring and evaluation (M&E) component. This component receives an allocation of R14 974 million. Included in the M&E is the highly effective Watching Briefs programme.

Through this programme, for the period 1 October to 31 December 2018, it was found that more than 300 cases were struck off the court roll, due to:

This led to Minister Winde proposing to Minister Cele that “a team of suitably skilled and qualified individuals be established, to develop an intervention so that these failures could be addressed.”

In response to Minister Winde’s proposal, Minister Cele said: “I am in support of the proposal as outlined in the letter from the MEC, Western Cape Community Safety. The Secretariat is advised to adopt the project and implement the project at a National level and by all Provinces (Department of Community Safety and Liaison).” [sic]

Minister Winde said: “This is clear evidence of what can be achieved through effective oversight and this is why the Civilian Oversight programme is so important. We need to continue holding SAPS accountable, as it has a constitutional duty to protect the citizens of this country.

I am further pleased with the allocation of R45 436 million for the Safety Partnerships, which forms part of programme 3, as this ensures that initiatives such as the Chrysalis Academy, the Youth Work Programme and Youth Religious Safety programme (YSRP) can be strengthened.”

This annual YSRP-programme, which is implemented during the June/July and December/January holiday period, was first piloted during 2012/13, and targets young people between the ages of 14 – 21 years. The YSRP ensures that young people are provided a safe space where they participate in activities, such as life skills awareness and education, sport, recreation and vocational training. Since the programme’s inception, the Department has spent R29 131 285, partnered with 1205 approved institutions and reached 133 972 young people.

The Ombudsman, which seeks to resolve complaints by community members against poor service delivery by SAPS in an impartial manner, is also part of programme 3 and receives R11 123 million.

Minister Winde said: “An effective, accountable, professional and honest police service will only ever be realised when the service is decentralised, as Minister Bheki Cele and the national ANC-led government has consistently shown that they will not be providing the necessary needed resources.”

Issued by Marcellino Martin, Spokesperson for Minister Alan Winde, 26 March 2019