Chris Gilili|Published
Cape Town has been accused of prioritising a planned R112 million N2 safety wall over crime prevention and development in poorer communities, with political opponents questioning whether the City’s policing strategy is making neighbourhoods safer.
The criticism followed an IOL Media town hall discussion on Thursday, where National Coloured Congress representative Jacobus Gelant and GOOD Party mayoral candidate Brett Herron challenged the City’s approach. Deputy mayor Eddie Andrews defended the investment in law enforcement, saying the City was working to improve safety.
N2 Wall project draws criticism over policing priorities
The City is reportedly planning to spend R112 million on the proposed N2 Edge project, a 9km concrete safety and security wall along the N2.
Gelant accused the City of failing to deploy its newly launched Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) unit visibly in communities affected by gang violence.
“The SWAT team was launched two weeks ago by the City. They have been in existence for about three months now, just doing training for about five hours every single day. They are not visible in our communities where people are being killed. We plead with the City to deploy the SWAT to our areas,” Gelant said.
He alleged that the officers were being kept to protect the planned wall rather than being deployed in crime-affected communities.
“I think they are keeping these officers to guard and protect the wall they are planning to protect. They will not be utilised in our crime infested communities. If the DA led City of Cape Town is so serious about safety in our communities, we would see these officers deployed,” he said.
Herron says City is neglecting development
GOOD Party mayoral candidate Brett Herron accused the City of placing too much emphasis on policing at the expense of its community development responsibilities.
“They are neglecting their community development mandate and over emphasising and overfunding their policing mandate, which is very limited in terms of the Constitution,” Herron said.
He argued that money being spent on the N2 wall, drones and cameras could instead be used to build houses and upgrade communities living in poor conditions.
He also called for greater investment in sports facilities, play parks and sustainable neighbourhoods that are not overcrowded.
Herron said crime could not be tackled through policing and law enforcement alone.
“The evidence is there for everyone to see, we have the police, we have the army and the LEAP officers they are rolling out, 1300 of them and yet the number of murders on the Cape Flats and in the townships goes up every single year. The numbers have not gone down. This military force has had no impact on safety,” he said.
Deputy mayor defends City’s law enforcement strategy
Cape Town deputy mayor Eddie Andrews defended the City’s approach, saying investment in law enforcement was intended to improve safety.
“The reason we are capacitating our law enforcement is to ensure a safer Cape Town for all. SAPS doesn't have the right capacity to ensure safer communities. That is what we believe in. We are not happy with the SAPS offering. We will continue to support efforts to boost our law enforcement,” Andrews said.