The City of Cape Town announced that it is allocating an additional R165 million to the Safety and Security Directorate, which is expected to go before Council for final approval on Thursday.

Executive mayor of Cape Town Dan Plato explained that the funds were made available through the Municipal Financial Management Act, which makes provision for the unspent monies from projects to be reassigned to where it is most needed.

The allocation of R165,2 million comprises capital expenditure of R42,2 million and operating expenditure of R123 million.

Plato said one of the main concerns is the under-resourcing of the Safety and Security Directorate, highlighting that a police force of 500 in the City cannot accommodate the population of about 4.5 million people. He however emphasized that safety cannot be left to police alone.

The mayor clarified that efforts will be increased to make communities feel safer among several socio-economic ills that burden the City. The release of the 2017-18 Crime statistics revealed that Cape Town is among the top ten most violent areas in the province. Plato said issues of gangsterism and general lawlessness will receive urgent attention.

The new allocation is expected to be used, among other things, to increase visible policing in vulnerable communities and invest more funds into needed projects.

“With this money, we will be able to increase our visible policing presence in vulnerable communities and invest even more funds into much-needed capital projects like fire stations. This is just the start of our efforts to increase safety levels in our communities.”

Plato said he has hopes that the main budget expected to take place in March/April will allocate another budget for the appointment of metro police.

Plato also disputed National Police Commissioner Bheki Cele’s statement that the Western Cape has the greatest resources in terms of policing. He said that research conducted when he was safety and security minister, shows that 85% of police stations in Cape Town are under-resourced with a deficit of 4 500 police members. He said perhaps the minister was “making reference to the base camps he put up in areas such as Manenberg, Elsies River and Lavender Hill.”

Among the planned capital projects that will benefit from this added injection, are:

• R7,5 million for an upgrade of the Ndabeni vehicle pound
• R2,6 million in additional funding for the Somerset West Fire Station
• R15 million to procure between 36 and 40 replacement vehicles, depending on the type of vehicles required
• R5,5 million for additional two-way radios for Law Enforcement staff
• The planned operating expenditure includes:
• R30 million to recruit additional Law Enforcement officers
• R10 million for uniforms, personal protective gear and equipment for staff
• R50 million for additional overtime allocation to ensure a more sustained, 24/7 service and R20 million to cover related fuel costs
• R8 million for repairs and maintenance of vehicles in the various departments
• 44 new CCTV cameras across the City in vulnerable areas, and a new camera room in Ocean View
• Expanding our K9 Unit, thanks to funding from the Western Cape Government

A sum of R30 million rand will be allocated towards the appointment of more City of Cape Town law enforcement officers. Despite the allocation of funding, however, Plato reiterated that “things don’t happen overnight”.

“A proper recruitment process needs to follow, appointments need to be made and a few months of training need to take place before they (police) can hit the ground.”

Plato also clarified that a message circulating saying he had been beaten in Tafelsig on Wednesday evening was false and that the public meeting he attended was beneficial.

He added that the protest action which had taken place nearby was as a result of an alleged rape of an 8-year-old girl, where the perpetrator was arrested but later released, prompting the community to take to the streets.

He explained that security had been concerned for his safety but emphasized that he “did not run for his dear life” as the post suggested.

VOC / Tauhierah Salie