Police Oversight and Community Safety
With reference to the recent attempted kidnapping of a young woman travelling in an Uber:
- What is being done to ensure that people, particularly women, are safe during this festive season;
- whether these measures have been successfully implemented before; if so, what are the relevant details;
- whether there will be any extra precautions implemented to protect women making use of e-hailing services and other modes of transport; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
The Department of Police Oversight and Community Safety cannot assist with this
type of incident. We recommend referring the matter to the Western Cape
Department of Mobility and the Provincial Regulatory Entity, which oversee e-
hailing services. These entities handle issues related to regulation, compliance, and
accountability in this sector.
The reply of the South African Police Service (SAPS)
7. (1) The safety of women, children, and vulnerable groups is being extensively promoted and addressed during the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children campaigns, the Festive Season, and Crime Awareness programmes throughout the province.
Various safety tips are being circulated internally and externally to officials, stakeholders, community safety structures, and the community on various platforms, particularly the SAPS website under “Crime Prevention (Be Alert)”, the MySAPS app, as well as through print media and radio slots.
(2) Crime Awareness Campaigns, Crime Operations and Crime Stop Tip-Off Line 0860 10111 was successfully implemented before and is continuously being implemented.
Integrated crime operations with all law enforcement agencies and integrated crime awareness campaigns with relevant Government Departments, Civil Society Organisation, Community Safety Structures and the community.
(3) Extra precautions will be implemented to protect women using e-hailing services and other modes of transport under the provincial Safer Festive Season Operational Plans and the Cooperative Agreement between Police Oversight and Community Safety, the South African Police Service, and the City of Cape Town, with a specific focus on the Operational and Violence Prevention work streams.
