Community Safety
(1) Whether the police are patrolling at night to safeguard the properties of businesses, schools, mosques and churches; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;
(2) whether he and his Department have considered the role that religious institutions can play in decreasing violence; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
The South African Police Services informed me as follows:
2. (1) Yes. Crime prevention activities, including vehicle and foot patrols have increased in identified hotspot areas. Blue light patrols are conducted in identified high-risk areas where business, schools, mosques and churches are located.
As the Minister of Community Safety, I have noted the response from the SAPS and the important role played by our religious fraternity. However, other community structures, especially Neighbourhood Watches (NHW), could play a critical role during this time and further support SAPS and other law enforcement agencies in the Province. I have written to the National Minister of Police, Bheki Cele, requesting that NHWs be permitted to patrol. However, he has since failed to respond. I am currently seeking legal opinion on whether NHWs can operate under alert level 3.
During the pandemic, we have seen a spate of infections of SAPS officers, resulting in the temporary closure of police stations. Consequently, our NHWs are unable to support SAPS where their operations are hindered due to COVID-19 infections and subsequent station closures. Additionally, our rural towns and farms, which are patrolled by farm watches, are left at risk as SAPS are unable to respond timeously due to human and other resource constraints. Without our NHWs on patrol, this leaves many residents at risk of crime.
Minister of Community Safety:
(2) Yes.
During this time the Department has built up a partnership with more than 140 religious institutions which has further been strengthened in the last financial year as religious institutions from the seven high crime areas implemented programmes as part of the 16 days of no violence against women and children campaign.
I again want to emphasise the importance of NHWs being allowed to patrol and to play an advocacy role in both protecting and educating communities. My Department are working with the City of Cape Town and other local and district municipalities to ensure that accredited NHWs are deployed as Disaster Risk Management volunteers so that they can assist with queue management and other COVID-19 related initiatives to ensure the safety of all residents.
