ANC in WC legislature calls on Masemola to strengthen provincial crime intelligence

CAPE TOWN - The African National Congress (ANC) in the Western Cape legislature on Thursday called on the national commissioner of police, Fannie Masemola, to strengthen provincial crime intelligence and urgently appoint a permanent head of police intelligence in the province.

The call comes amid ongoing shootings and gang violence in the Western Cape, which has left more than 30 people dead in the last month.

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Members of the provincial legislature (MPLs) debated the ongoing shooting in the province.

Democratic Alliance (DA) Western Cape chief whip Gillion Bosman blamed the state for not intervening to curb shootings and gang violence in the province.

ANC MPL Benson Ngqentsu admitted that the destabilisation of police intelligence was partially to blame for the ongoing violence.

"It is against this background that we call on the national commissioner to strengthen provincial intelligence and urgently appoint a permanent provincial head of police intelligence. Without the police intelligence, policing is blind."

Ngqentsu said poor police intelligence and the DA’s failure to develop communities had led to the surge of violent crime in the province.