Premier
With reference to the Premier’s Safety Plan:
1. How is the Safety Plan’s budget of R1 billion being allocated;
2. whether the Safety Plan includes the procurement of equipment, firearms and vehicles; if so, (a) who will procure and own the equipment, firearms and vehicles and (b) in terms of what power, legislation or policy will the equipment, firearms and vehicles be distributed to municipalities in the province;
3. (a) who will employ the additional 3 000 law-enforcement officers, (b) what type of employment contract (for example permanent, contract or EPWP) will be offered to these law-enforcement officers and (c) when will the first 1 000 law-enforcement officers commence their employment;
4. whether these law-enforcement officers will be deployed in the province in accordance with a specific declaration of powers and functions granted to the City of Cape Town or in accordance with the “Declaration of peace officers for law enforcement officers appointed by a municipality” issued by the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services in terms of the Criminal Procedure Act, 1977 (Act 51 of 1977), on 19 October 2018;
5. whether the City of Cape Town has a separate or unique declaration of peace officers or powers; if so, what are the details of these powers and jurisdiction;
6. when these law-enforcement officers are deployed in municipalities in the province in accordance with either declaration mentioned in (4), (a) how will these law-enforcement officers operate under the “command and control” of the provincial government, (b) what will be the structure of that command, (c) who will be the commanding officer or authority, (d) how will they be deployed in the province and (e) what technology will be used to determine their deployment?
(1) The budget for the Safety Plan will be allocated to the two elements of the plan: enforcement, which includes the cost of employment for 3,150 personnel once the full force is deployed and for programmes geared towards preventing violence throughout the Western Cape Government.
(2) Yes.
(a) In terms of our Transfer Payment Agreement, which is still be to concluded with the City of Cape Town, the “Beneficiary” (municipality) will procure and own the equipment as long as the project runs.
(b) Not applicable. The funds are transferred to the “Beneficiary”.
(3)(a) The “Beneficiary”.
(b) The Transfer Payment Agreement stipulates that the “Beneficiary” must appoint the law enforcement officers. The “Beneficiary” will do the appointments in accordance with its own rules and regulations.
(c) The Western Cape Government is entering into an agreement with the City of Cape Town to ensure that the first 1,000 law enforcement officers will be on boarded before the end of the financial year.
(4) In accordance with the “Declaration of peace officers for law enforcement officers appointed by a municipality” issued by the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services in terms of the Criminal Procedure Act, 1977 (Act 51 of 1977), on 19 October 2018.
(5) No.
(6)(a) The “Beneficiary” and WCG envisage entering into an “Intergovernmental Implementation Protocol” wherein the WCG will co-ordinate with the City of Cape Town the implementation and direction of the project. The WCG will further continue to exercise its oversight role.
(b) The normal structure of command vis-à-vis the law enforcement officers within the “Beneficiary’s” safety and security structure will apply and the WCG will provide assistance in terms of the envisaged “Intergovernmental Implementation Protocol”.
(c) See answer for Question 12(6)(b).
(d) The deployment will be data driven and the WCG will provide assistance in terms of the envisaged “Intergovernmental Implementation Protocol”.
(e) It is our objective to enhance the impact of these additional deployments of law enforcement officers by improving on the models and systems currently used to determine areas in which such deployments must be made, ensuring that available safety resources are deployed when and where most needed. It is envisaged that this will be achieved through the greater use of technology and evidence based models and algorithms which will be linked and interlinked to existing and new data-sources such as crime stats, emergency medical response data, mortuary data and the EPIC devises already in use in the City of Cape Town to mention only some.
