Police Oversight and Community Safety

The reply of the South African Police Service [SAPS]:

5.      [1]  [a] [i] It was noted that the retaliation/revenge-related murders showed a greater proportional increase comparing the 4th quarter 2021/2022 to the corresponding quarter in 2020/2021. During quarter 4 2020/2021, the retaliation/revenge attacks accounted for 9,5% [2] of the murders, whilst in the 4th quarter 2021/2022 these attacks accounted for 28,6% [8] of the murders in Lingelethu-West.

The hit/assassinations however showed a greater proportional decline when comparing the 2021/2022 4th quarter with the same period in 2020/2021. During the 4th quarter 2020/2021 the murders where the causative factors were hit/assassinations were 23,8% [5] of murders, whilst in the 4th quarter 2021/2022 hit/assassinations constituted 10,7% [3] of murders in Lingelethu-West.

In 35,7% of the murders committed in the 4th quarter 2021/2022 the motives/causative factors are unknown. These murders are mainly where the bodies of the victims are found to be lying in the street and where there is limited or no information surrounding the circumstances of the incident. This also includes cases where the seriously wounded victims are removed from crime scenes by members of the public and are admitted to hospitals for emergency medical treatment. The SAPS are then notified of the murder by the hospital.

        [ii] On comparing the 4th quarter 2021/2022 with the corresponding quarter in 2020/2021 the number of retaliation/revenge murders increased significantly from 5 [12,8%] in quarter 4 2020/2021 to 26 [44,1%] in the 2021/2022 period. During March 2022 there were 2 retaliation/revenge-related murder incidents where 11 victims [5 and 6, respectively] were killed. This incident and the overall increase in relation/revenge-related murders in the Harare precinct significantly contributed to the increase in murders.

         [b] The five pillar approach were implemented to address these crimes:

• Pillar 1: Intelligence gathering, analysis and co-ordination
• Pillar 2: Proactive approach
• Pillar 3: Combat and reaction approach
• Pillar 4: Reaction through detection including organised crime
• Pillar 5: Communication and liaison

Weekly Provincial Integrated Operations [Operation Restore] are conducted with the aim to reduce these crimes through working in an integrated, coordinated, effective and efficient manner. Operations are focused on crime hotspots and conducted in terms of the crime pattern analysis.

Community engagement

Public education and awareness programmes are conducted with various government departments and other stakeholders with the aim to educate the various communities regarding the particular threat being addressed.

The Community in Blue [patrollers & neighbourhood watch] plays an important role by being the eyes and ears of SAPS within the community.

THE MINISTER OF COMMUNITY SAFETY TO REPLY:

5.      [1]  [b] LEAP: No LEAP deployments in Lingelethu West. [ii] 78 LEAP members are deployed in the Harare SAPS station precinct on a 24-hour basis, 7 days a week, for enhanced law enforcement capacity and to support the SAPS.

CPFs: To improve community police relations and ensure transparency and accountability, the Department assessed each of the 151 CPFs in the province. The CPFs at the two areas highlighted, namely Lingelethu-West and Harare, were also assessed.

The Department, to further support and capacitate safety partners, invited all certified CPFs to apply for R5,000.00 baseline funding which could be used for safety projects or administrative expenses to advance the safety agenda of the CPF in partnership with SAPS. The Lingelethu-West and Harare CPFs applied for and received such funding.

NHWs: To enhance safety and security capacity of NHW structures, the Department invited NHW structures to apply for accreditation and funding. These funds can be utilised towards their operational and administrative costs, and this enables them to increase their functional capacity including procuring additional equipment. In terms of training, the Department was able to uplift and skill a total of 70 NHW structures through a variety of safety training courses such as First Aid Level 1, Basic Fire Fighting Skills, Meeting Skills, Finance for Non-financial Managers and Conflict Management and Mediation.

Further to this, accredited NHWs were resourced with various items such as strobe lights, magnetic decals, padlocks, reflective vests, jackets, torches, First Aid kits, fire extinguishers, safety whistles, safety masks, storage boxes, basic stationery, identity cards and promotional items such as t-shirts, peak caps, and beanies.

There are three accredited NHW structures in Lingelethu-West and 11 in Harare policing precinct, and all of these received resourcing from the Department.

District Municipalities: To broaden its safety footprint and tackle safety challenges, the Department has also brought safety in rural areas into increased focus by partnering with district municipalities and supporting and funding the implementation of safety plan initiatives in district municipalities. In this regard, the whole-of-society approach [WoSA] and the whole-of-government approach [WoGA] are being followed. During 2021/22, the Department funded a total of R9,292,000.00 to four district municipalities for the implementation of the respective district municipalities’ safety plans. These district municipalities are Cape Winelands, Garden Route, Overberg and West Coast.

Provincial Monitoring Assessment: In giving effect to its Constitutional mandate, the Department of Community Safety [DoCS] is responsible to conduct oversight assessments at local police stations in the Western Cape. Lingelethu West Police Station have been assessed on 25 August 2021 utilising the provincial monitoring tool, to look at the performance of the three main components of the police station, visible policing, detective services as well as support services.

The following findings were made:

• Infrastructure: The station is operating from an eased building which results lack of resources, such as SAP 13 stores being housed at Khayelitsha SAPS.  Lack of parking and the SAPS vehicles are parked outside the station yard and this is making the safety of these assets vulnerable.
  • • Personnel: The station is granted 146 members according to the Fixed Establishment, however in August 2021 the actual number of personnel was 128, which translated to a shortage of 18 [12%] members. 
    • CPF: There is a functional and active CPF in the precinct which assist to enhance community police relations in the precinct to assist these partners in policing to assist each other in fighting crime.

Domestic Violence Act Implementation: The SAPS National Instruction 7 of 1999 [SAPS NI 7/1999] is the final operational tool that guide all police officers on how to execute their responsibility in terms of the implementation of the Domestic Violence Act.  The Department of Community Safety monitored Harare SAPS on 02 November 2021 on their compliance with Domestic Violence Act implementation.

For Harare police station 1115 DV incidents were reported for 2020/21 and based on this level of reporting, the station is rated with a specific rating of 18^th of 151 police stations. The reporting period for which Domestic violence [DV] registers and forms were monitored was 01 July 2021 to 30 September 2021.

The following findings were made:

• First and second level inspections of DV registers and forms:  first and second level inspections were conducted, but proof of third level inspection was not available.
• Victim friendly room [VFR]: the VFR is inside the station and there is access for persons with disability. The challenge is that there was only 2 active and trained volunteers available in the VFR. Bearing in mind the high level of DV at the station confirmed by the station that was in the top 20 DV stations for 2020/21 with 1115 DV incidents registered, 2 volunteers are not sufficient to be deployed on a rotational basis in the VFR.
• Female members on every shift: as it is a full Colonel station, there is 4-5 female members on every shift.
• The relationship between DV incidents and DV criminal cases and arrests on cases: for the period Jul – Sept 2021, 220 DV incidents were reported and 261 DV cases and 113 arrests were made at a rate of 44%. The fact that there were more DV criminal cases for the reporting period than DV incidences indicate the need to return to the station for follow up monitoring. The arrest rate of 44% might be a challenge, but the nature of the policing area with a high number of informal settlements also plays a role, as these settlements are difficult from a policing perspective.  In these settlements, street lightning and street names are absent as factors that impact heavily on policing.

• SAPS members as DV offenders: for the reporting period of Jul – Sept 2021, 2 members of the station were investigated as alleged DV offenders.  By the time of the monitoring during Nov 2021, the investigation against a Constable was continuing and the investigation against a Captain was concluded – he received a one- month suspension without renumeration.    

Expanded Public Works Programme [EPWP] work opportunities created in 2021/22

Area	Town	Total
Site C	Khayelitsha	5
Khayelitsha	Khayelitsha	11
Harare	Khayelitsha	2
Makhaya	Khayelitsha	3
Site B	Khayelitsha	11
Kuyasa	Khayelitsha	11
Thembakwezi	Khayelitsha	6
G-Section	Khayelitsha	1
Litha Park	Khayelitsha	2
Makhaza	Khayelitsha	11
Mandela Park	Khayelitsha	1

 

Area	Town	Total
Makhaza	Khayelitsha	11
Mandela Park	Khayelitsha	1
TOTAL		64

THE MINISTER OF COMMUNITY SAFETY WAS INFORMED AS FOLLOWS:

The reply of the South African Police Service [SAPS]:

         [2]  [a] The total murders per suburb is not available as the crime statistics are released per policing precinct. Herewith the total murder reported per police precinct for the period January to March 2022:

 

No	Station	January to March 2022
1	Albertinia	1
2	Ashton	2
3	Athlone	12
4	Atlantis	18
5	Barrydale	0
6	Beaufort West	9
7	Belhar	9
8	Bellville	2
9	Bellville South	3
10	Bishop Lavis	23
11	Bonnievale	2
12	Bothasig	1
13	Brackenfell	5
14	Bredasdorp	2
15	Caledon	1
16	Calitzdorp	1
17	Camps Bay	0
18	Cape Town Central	3
19	Ceres	4
20	Citrusdal	6
21	Clanwilliam	1
22	Claremont	1
23	Cloetesville	3
24	Conville	6
25	Da Gamaskop	1

 

No	Station	January to March 2022
26	Darling	2
27	De Doorns	4
28	De Rust	1
29	Delft	54
30	Dieprivier	1
31	Doring Bay	0
32	Durbanville	5
33	Dysselsdorp	3
34	Eendekuil	0
35	Elands Bay	1
36	Elsies River	11
37	Fish Hoek	0
38	Franschhoek	4
39	Gans Bay	0
40	Genadendal	0
41	George	5
42	Goodwood	2
43	Gordons Bay	0
44	Graafwater	0
45	Grabouw	16
46	Grassy Park	13
47	Groot Brakrivier	3
48	Groot-Drakenstein	1
49	Gugulethu	27
50	Harare	59
51	Heidelberg	0
52	Hermanus	5
53	Hopefield	1
54	Hout Bay	5
55	Kensington	1
56	Khayelitsha	49
57	Kirstenhot	0
58	Klapmuts	3
59	Klawer	4
60	Kleinmond	2

 

No	Station	January to March 2022
61	Kleinvlei	19
62	Knysna	7
63	Kraaifontein	54
64	Kuilsrivier	2
65	Kwanokuthula	1
66	Kwanonqaba	8
67	Laaiplek	0
68	Ladismith	1
69	Laingsburg	0
70	Lambertsbaai	0
71	Langa	28
72	Langebaan	0
73	Lansdowne	2
74	Leeu Gamka	1
75	Lentegeur	6
76	Lingelethu-West	28
77	Lutzville	1
78	Lwandle	29
79	Macassar	6
80	Maitland	2
81	Malmesbury	10
82	Manenberg	24
83	Mbekweni	7
84	McGregor	0
85	Melkbosstrand	1
86	Mfuleni	52
87	Milnerton	13
88	Mitchells Plain	24
89	Montagu	1
90	Moorreesburg	3
91	Mossel Bay	0
92	Mowbray	0
93	Mufzenberg	9
94	Murraysburg	1
95	Napier	0
96	Nuwerus	0
97	Nyanga	30
98	Ocean View	10
No	Station	January to March 2022
99	Oudtshoorn	3
100	Paarl	2
101	Paarl East	3
102	Pacaltsdorp	5
103	Parow	5
104	Philadelphia	1
105	Philippi	24
106	Philippi East	22
107	Piketberg	3
108	Pinelands	2
109	Plettenberg Bay	1
110	Porterville	2
111	Prince Albert	3
112	Prince Alfred Hamlet	6
113	Ravensmead	10
114	Rawsonville	4
115	Redelinghuys	0
116	Riebeek West	0
117	Riversdale	2
118	Riviersonderend	0
119	Robertson	3
120	Rondebosch	1
121	Saldanha	7
122	Samora Machel	28
123	Saron	1
124	Sea Point	0
125	Simon's Town	0
126	Somerset West	6
127	St Helena Bay	0
128	Stanford	0
129	Steenberg	7
130	Stellenbosch	11
131	Still Bay	2
132	Strand	4
133	Strandfontein	2
134	Struisbaai	0
135	Suurbraak	0
136	Swellendam	2
No	Station	January to March 2022
137	Table Bay Harbour	0
138	Table View	5
139	Thembalethu	14
140	Touws River	0
141	Tulbagh	2
142	Uniondale	0
143	Vanrhynsdorp	1
144	Villiersdorp	4
145	Vredenburg	8
146	Vredendal	2
147	Wellington	4
148	Wolseley	7
149	Woodstock	2
150	Worcester	16
151	Wynberg	0

 [b] The total sexual offences per suburb is not available, as the crime statistics are released per police precinct. Herewith the total sexual offences reported per police precinct for the period January to March 2022:

 

No	Station	January to March 2022
1	Albertinia	1
2	Ashton	5
3	Athlone	14
4	Atlantis	29
5	Barrydale	4
6	Beaufort West	22
7	Belhar	12
8	Bellville	11
9	Bellville South	5
10	Bishop Lavis	18
11	Bonnievale	2
12	Bothasig	7
13	Brackenfell	11
14	Bredasdorp	7

No	Station	January to March 2022
15	Caledon	9
16	Calitzdorp	5
17	Camps Bay	1
18	Cape Town Central	17
19	Ceres	21
20	Citrusdal	10
21	Clanwilliam	5
22	Claremont	1
23	Cloetesville	5
24	Conville	27
25	Da Gamaskop	10
26	Darling	2
27	De Doorns	9
28	De Rust	2
29	Delft	98
30	Dieprivier	5
31	Doring Bay	2
32	Durbanville	13
33	Dysselsdorp	12
34	Eendekuil	0
35	Elands Bay	3
36	Elsies River	22
37	Fish Hoek	4
38	Franschhoek	14
39	Gans Bay	3
40	Genadendal	2
41	George	22
42	Goodwood	9
43	Gordons Bay	4
44	Graafwater	3
45	Grabouw	19
46	Grassy Park	19
47	Groot Brakrivier	2
48	Groot-Drakenstein	9
49	Gugulethu	50
50	Harare	63

 

No	Station	January to March 2022
51	Heidelberg	0
52	Hermanus	15
53	Hopefield	1
54	Hout Bay	18
55	Kensington	4
56	Khayelitsha	41
57	Kirstenhof	3
58	Klapmuts	11
59	Klawer	8
60	Kleinmond	7
61	Kleinvlei	20
62	Knysna	39
63	Kraaifontein	53
64	Kuilsrivier	17
65	Kwanokuthula	6
66	Kwanonqaba	13
67	Laaiplek	1
68	Ladismith	8
69	Laingsburg	4
70	Lambertsbaai	5
71	Langa	20
72	Langebaan	0
73	Lansdowne	4
74	Leeu Gamka	5
75	Lentegeur	38
76	Lingelethu-West	32
77	Lutzville	4
78	Lwandle	27
79	Macassar	10
80	Maitland	11
81	Malmesbury	22
82	Manenberg	30
83	Mbekweni	20
84	McGregor	4
85	Melkbosstrand	3

 

No	Station	January to March 2022
86	Mfuleni	58
87	Milnerton	26
88	Mitchells Plain	45
89	Montagu	8
90	Moorreesburg	3
91	Mossel Bay	1
92	Mowbray	2
93	Muizenberg	11
94	Murraysburg	0
95	Napier	4
96	Nuwerus	1
97	Nyanga	43
98	Ocean View	16
99	Oudtshoorn	31
100	Paarl	7
101	Paarl East	38
102	Pacaltsdorp	12
103	Parow	9
104	Philadelphia	5
105	Philippi	13
106	Philippi East	36
107	Piketberg	4
108	Pinelands	1
109	Plettenberg Bay	13
110	Porterville	4
111	Prince Albert	4
112	Prince Alfred Hamlet	11
113	Ravensmead	18
114	Rawsonville	3
115	Redelinghuys	0
116	Riebeek West	6
117	Riversdale	3
118	Riviersonderend	6
119	Robertson	13
120	Rondebosch	4

 

No	Station	January to March 2022
121	Saldanha	5
122	Samora Machel	24
123	Saron	5
124	Sea Point	3
125	Simon's Town	5
126	Somerset West	9
127	St Helena Bay	5
128	Stanford	2
129	Steenberg	12
130	Stellenbosch	30
131	Still Bay	0
132	Strand	12
133	Strandfontein	9
134	Struisbaai	5
135	Suurbraak	4
136	Swellendam	19
137	Table Bay Harbour	1
138	Table View	25
139	Thembalethu	39
140	Touws River	0
141	Tulbagh	5
142	Uniondale	6
143	Vanrhynsdorp	2
144	Villiersdorp	8
145	Vredenburg	8
146	Vredendal	8
147	Wellington	26
148	Wolseley	10
149	Woodstock	9
150	Worcester	20
151	Wynberg	4