Western Cape bolsters festive safety with 479 new police officers

The Western Cape Government has welcomed the deployment of 479 additional police officers to the province to bolster operations during the festive season.

The deployment arrives as the province continues to grapple with persistent gang violence and shootings. Recent incidents underscore the urgency of the situation: a man was arrested today following the murder of a 23-year-old woman in Hanover Park, while police are simultaneously investigating the murder of a 33-year-old man in Lwandle. Both fatalities occurred on Sunday.

READ: Man arrested following fatal shooting of young woman in Hanover Park

Anroux Marais, the MEC for Police Oversight and Community Safety, stated that the deployment of the newly trained SAPS cadets last week will significantly enhance visible policing and crime-fighting capacity.

Marais noted that the additional "boots on the ground" serve as a positive response to the Western Cape Governments long-standing calls for more policing resources.

"This increased deployment is an important step in strengthening our collective ability to protect our communities," said Marais.

National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola confirmed that the new recruits will be integrated into operations throughout the province immediately. He emphasised that the SAPS would be operating at maximum capacity during the holiday period.

"Normally, during the festive season, we make use of every soul that we have," Masemola explained. "There is only a minimum occasional leave that is allowed, but the rest of every soul is deployed for festive season operations, including these new ones that have just arrived."

Masemola has specifically encouraged the new cadets to consider joining the Anti-Gang Unit to help curb the ongoing violence affecting many Western Cape communities.