Police Oversight and Community Safety

(1)     The Department of Police Oversight and Community Safety can only account for the CWB deliverables in the Western Cape Province and not nationwide. The CWB monitored 5 481 in the Western Cape since its inception.

         2)       Details on training provided on CWB practices as follow:

• As part of our values and foresight, the Department of Police Oversight and Community Safety, (then Community Safety), saw the need for the establishment of the CWB. This initiative was  introduced  in the Western Cape in 2013, primarily to improve oversight by monitoring the effectiveness and efficiency of the police in terms of investigating criminal cases, thus contributing towards promoting Professional Policing in line with the National Development Plan. In addition to this, the CWB seeks to ensure, where possible, that matters struck off the court roll are re-enlisted in order for justice to be served.
• In 2014, the CWB was institutionalised through the Western Cape Provincial Parliament.
• In 2019, the then Member of Executive Council (MEC) for Community Safety in the Western Cape, submitted the CWB report to the National Minister of Police, Mr Bheki Cele, who subsequently advised the CSPS to adopt the project and implement it nation-wide.
• In compliance to the National Minister’s instructions, all eight (8) provinces requested the Western Cape’s CWB unit to train them on the CWB processes in 2019. A joint workshop was subsequently held in Western Cape comprising of delegates from all provinces. These delegates were trained on the operations, systems, and reporting processes of the CWB initiative. The three-day programme covered theoretical and practical training. The latter entailed physical visits to selected magistrate courts in the City of Cape Town.
• In September 2022, four (4) delegates from the Northern Cape Province each representing their geographical region visited the Western Cape, CWB unit for further training. Both theoretical and practical training sessions were offered. The latter included a visit to two (2) magistrate courts i.e., Athlone and Blue Downs magistrate court.
• The successful training of the four (4) delegates resulted in the Head of the Northern Cape Department of Safety and Liaison writing a formal letter to Head of Department of Police Oversight and Community Safety, in the Western Cape requesting that follow-up training be offered to a wider audience (Field workers, district managers, etc.) in the Northern Cape in November 2022.
• The follow up training took place in Upington, Northern Cape. A total of twenty-five (25) participants attended the training session. These participants included officials from the North West Province, Department of Safety and Liaison.