Winde challenges govt to redirect funds for VIP protection to bolster SAPS' Anti-Gang Unit

Western Cape Premier Alan Winde has challenged government to redirect the more than R4.2 billion spent on VIP security for politicians to the police’s Anti-Gang Unit (AGU).

Winde said plans to deploy the army to the Western Cape to help fight gangsterism will fail if there are no improvements from the lessons of the 2019 deployment.

Responding to the debate on the State of the Nation Address in Parliament, Winde said the police needs to be properly capacitated.

In January alone, 345 people were killed in the Western Cape.

Winde said since he was first appointed in 2019, the number of police officers has declined from 20,000 to 12,000.

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There are also 1,000 detective vacancies in the province.

Winde said while he supports the deployment of the military as announced by the president last week, the response needs to include law enforcement agencies from all spheres of government, and community policing forums.

“We had an eight-month deployment of the military in 2019, and we didn’t get the traction of the force multiplier that we should have. Because if we don’t approach this differently, we are going to have the same results as in 2019, and gangsterism will continue.”

Winde’s questioned why there’s no specific allocation for the police’s AGU in the national budget.

“Give the budget that protects the politicians, to protecting the people. That would be a bold move.”

Winde continues to reiterate the plea for the province and the City of Cape Town to be given policing powers.