Community Safety
- Whether areas have been identified over the past 6 to 12 months where (a) gangsterism, (b) murder, (c) rape and (d) other violent crimes that have been reported more frequently; if so, what are the relevant details;
- whether remedial applications have been implemented to encourage a safer environment for the citizens of the affected areas; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;
- whether the perpetrators have been identified; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;
- whether rehabilitation programs are in place to assist the remedying of social ill behaviour patterns in assisting wrongdoers to become better citizens; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
YES. Based on the department’s crime review study done on the 2013/14 analysis of crime statistics, the following are the reported murder and serious violent crime areas:
- Nyanga
- Harare
- Mitchells Plain
- Khayelitsha
- Gugulethu
- Delft
- Mfuleni
- Kraaifontein
- Bishop Lavis
- Phillipi-East
- Worcester
- George (Conville)
- Oudtshoorn
- Kleinvlei
- Beaufort-West
- Cape Town Central
(2) YES. A focus of the department is to make safety everyone’s responsibility by creating youth safety partnerships with community based organisations, non-profit organisations, non-government organisations and by building the capacity of Community Police Forums (CPFs) and Neighbourhood Watches (NHWs) that will facilitate responses to the safety needs and concerns that exist within communities. The Expanded Partnership Programme (EPP) was designed for CPF’s to enable them to facilitate community safety issues in these affected areas. The EPP intends to, as per chapter 12 of the National Development Plan promote the activities and functions of CPF’s by providing a sustainable dedicated budget to every CPF which budget is linked to measurable outcomes and a cost benefit analysis.
The department also focused on the implementation of a number of specialised interventions such as drug abuse, gangs, school safety and youth development. Such interventions were undertaken in partnership with various role-players most notable the Chrysalis Youth Academy, the Violence Prevention Through Urban Upgrade (VPUU) programme, the City of Cape Town, City Improvement Districts (CIDs), non-governmental organisations active in the field of safety and the religious fraternity.
The department also re-focused the training programmes for NHWs on deepening the understanding and knowledge base of community dimensions pertaining to social cohesion and the Legislative aspects of their daily functions. The department has trained neighbourhood watches and provided them with neighbourhood watch equipment.
The department also provided youth work placement opportunities for youth from these areas as an ideal opportunity to create work within the areas of safety promotion, create economic activities in communities most at need and provided people with a sustainable alternative to crime and a lack of safety.
(3) Without case details, the South African Police Service will not be able to
provide any specific information, other than to indicate that in all cases
where perpetrators are evidentially identified, such perpetrator will be
traced and arrested.
(4) YES. The rehabilitation of offenders is being dealt with by the Department of Social Development. However, the Department of Community Safety do facilitate youth development programmes in these communities through the Chrysalis Academy programme, where youth at risk are being recruited and placed on a three month intensive life-skills training programme and after graduating from the Chrysalis Academy, they are provided with job opportunities on the EPWP for a period of nine months.
