The Western Cape’s new premier, Alan Winde, is engaged in ongoing meetings with minister of police Bheki Cele, over policing resources in the Western Cape province.
Winde said the anti-gang unit that was launched in November is not doing its job, and that 2,202 murders have taken place since then.
He said now he wants management of the Saps decentralised so that local government can control their policing, with oversight by national government.
Currently, it’s the reverse, with local government playing the role of overseeing policing, which is controlled by national government.
Winde lodged an intergovernmental dispute against Cele, which could result in legal action if he doesn’t commit to deal with crime in the Western Cape differently.
Winde also accuses the anti-gang unit of only swinging into action when its own members are targeted.
“The anti-gang unit was shot at this week, a couple of guys were wounded and they made arrests within 12 hours,” Winde said, adding that “thousands of civilians are shot every single day and there’ve been no arrests,” he said.
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