The Western Cape police commissioner, Thembisile Patekile said there is no need for military intervention on the Cape Flats. Picture: File
Mandilakhe Tshwete
The Western Cape police commissioner Thembisile Patekile said there is no need to bring in the army to gang-ridden areas as they have crime under control.
He said this as the South African Police Service (SAPS) presented the crime statistics of the third quarter which ran from October to December 2024.
Though the numbers showed a decrease in murder and attempted murders, crime activists have called for military intervention to quell the violence.
Fight Against Crime South Africa (FACSA) said the communities of Cape Town, particularly those in gang-ridden areas, are living in a constant state of fear, where the sound of gunfire has become a daily reality.
“The lack of sufficient law enforcement presence, combined with the growing sophistication of criminal networks, has made it impossible for residents to feel safe in their own homes.
“We call for the deployment of the SANDF (South African National Defence Force); FACSA reiterates our demand for the immediate deployment of the SANDF to stabilise affected communities and restore order.
“We want a mass shutdown in gang-infested areas: We support a total shutdown in areas worst affected by gang violence. The government cannot continue to ignore the cries of its people while criminals terrorise communities with impunity.
“We demand the strengthening of the Anti-Gang Unit (AGU) must be provided with the necessary resources, intelligence, and personnel to combat the growing influence of gang syndicates. Without proper funding and political will, the AGU’s efforts will remain insufficient against the scale of crime we are witnessing.”
Patekile said they have had successful lockdown operations on the Cape Flats.
“We've combined forces for seven to 14 days to stabilise areas like Bishop Lavis, Mitchells Plain and Elsies River. We have found that there is one stubborn area which is Delft, which has overgrown and we are conducting a work study of whether there can be another police station, just like in Kraaifontein.
“We must try not to give gangs a status, there is no need for the military, these are just criminals but we are not at a level where we can call the army. We are able to deal with the crime in the province.”
The province recorded 1198 murders, 103 fewer than the 1301 recorded in the same period in 2023.
The factors that led to these killings were mainly arguments or misunderstandings; gang- related, initiation or retaliation.
Patekile said they were concerned about an increase in violent crimes in some parts of the province.
“Of the 17 community-reported crimes, the Western Cape reduced 15 categories during the 3rd quarter of the financial year. However, common assaults and commercial crimes showed increases.
“While murders and attempted murders were significantly decreased during the period under review, gang violence reared its ugly head notably in precincts such as Bishop Lavis, Mitchell’s Plain, Kleinvlei, Delft and Elsies River. This has prompted the intensification and a review of deployments. Due to the repetitive nature of this concerning phenomenon of gang violence and its stubbornness, the softer approach to it is also being reconsidered.
“Discussions and engagements with all role players are afoot nationally and provincially.”
Patekile added that crime analysis also reveals that with these murders and attempted murders, the weapons of choice are still illegal firearms.
“This compels law enforcement agencies to be intentional in the execution of operational activities to rid communities of illegal firearms and ammunition. Weekly, during SAPS operations, substantial quantities of illegal firearms and ammunition are seized.
“A case in point is the arrest of two suspects by Kleinvlei police on Sunday, 23 February 2025 after they were found in possession of six unlicensed rifles and a large assortment of rounds of ammunition. The situation dictates that we confiscate even more!”
He said gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) remains a priority for the SAPS in the Western Cape with every endeavour made to combat it.
Police Oversight and Community Safety MEC Anroux Marais said the 7,9% decrease in the overall murder rate in the Western Cape for quarter three of 2024/2025 is an encouragement in the face of adversity.
“Although this decline in the murder rate follows a 7,1% decrease in quarter two of 2024/25, there are still too many lives lost because of crime and especially in the context of the Western Cape, gang-related crime. This latest reduction represents a decrease of 103 murders, and I want to emphasise, this is still unacceptable. We need to do more, and we need to do it together.”
mandilakhe.tshwete@inl.co.za
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