Parly's police committee wants meeting with WC commissioner, SAPS over ongoing gang violence
Committee chairperson Ian Cameron said while it is commendable that some alleged gang leaders have been arrested, it is inaccurate to claim that the police are making significant headway in dismantling gang violence.
Scores of Cape Town residents joined a mass prayer on 8 December 2024 calling for a stop to the killing of people by gangsters. Picture: Eyewitness News
CAPE TOWN - Parliament’s portfolio committee on police has invited the South African Police Service (SAPS) senior management and Western Cape Police Commissioner to discuss the ongoing gang violence in Cape Town.
The request follows the recent release of the provincial crime statistics that indicate gun and gang violence continue to be a problem.
During the briefing, Commissioner Thembisile Patekile explained that the SAPS is dealing with gang-related crime, and that there's no need for South African National Defence Force (SANDF) intervention yet.
Committee chairperson Ian Cameron said while it is commendable that some alleged gang leaders have been arrested, it is inaccurate to claim that the police are making significant headway in dismantling gang violence.
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Cameron expressed concern that the phenomenon is spreading across the country, which could lead to more murders.
His comments follow the release of the latest quarterly crime statistics, revealing that 263 gang-related murders occurred in the Western Cape between October and December 2024.
During the briefing, Patekile stated that police are capable of handling gang violence and that there is currently no need for the army to be deployed.
In a statement, Cameron revealed that he has requested the provincial police commissioner and senior SAPS leaders to appear before the committee to address Patekile's comments.
“We've invited the commissioner to come and speak to us at the police committee about the massive challenge with regards to dismantling systemic gang violence in and around Cape Town.”