Western Cape wants focus on intelligence driven policing

The Western Cape government has ramped up pressure on the South African Police Service (SAPS), saying residents remain under threat despite police interventions and the deployment of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF).

During a safety council meeting last week, the province questioned the operation’s impact, saying visible deployments alone are failing to curb violence.

Premier Alan Winde says with gangsterism and illegal firearms still driving high murder rates, the province is now pushing for intelligence-driven policing.

“This force multiplier must be really planned well; it must be intelligence-driven, it must be coordinated, and it must be focused on dismantling the criminal networks and the gangs that hold so many of our citizens hostage across the Cape Flats," Winde added.

ALSO READ: Western Cape Premier says he grilled the provincial police commissioner over Operation Prosper