DA WC rejects ANC’s false claims on policing 

11 June 2019

The Democratic Alliance in the Western Cape rejects the claim made by the ANC’s Cameron Dugmore stating that under-resourcing in the province is fabricated.

The 2018/2019 SAPS Annual Report has yet to be released. Which effectively discredits Cameron Dugmore’s allegations. We urge the leader of the opposition to validate his facts to support his allegations.  As it stands, from the latest annual report, the national police/population ratio is currently at 1:375 whilst the ratio in the Western Cape is 1:509.

Policing reservists have declined since 2008 by 84%. Last year a report by the police ombudsman revealed the loss of police reservists resulted in thousands of policing hours lost.

Under-resourcing is evident in our communities. Over the last six months 1 875 people have been murdered in the province. This proves the severity of under-resourcing in the Western Cape. It is highly regrettable that the ANC in the Western Cape has resorted to denialism while our communities are suffering.

The intergovernmental dispute process on police resourcing will thus continue as the National Police Minister, Bheki Cele, failed to respond to the declaration notice sent to him. We cannot allow denialism to delay crime fighting initiatives that our communities so desperately need.

The DA in the Western Cape will remain committed to fighting the chronic police under-resourcing, which has an increasingly negative impact on crime and safety in our communities.

Issued by Reagen Allen, Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Community Safety, DA Western Cape, 11 June 2019