Minister Marais meets with new Western Cape Police Commissioner to align safety priorities

Western Cape Minister of Police Oversight and Community Safety, Anroux Marais, today held her first one-on-one meeting with newly appointed Western Cape Provincial Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Sizakhele Dyantyi, to outline her safety priorities for safety and establish a framework for strengthened cooperation between the provincial government and SAPS.

Minister Marais outlined several priority areas, including:

• Addressing the availability and circulation of illegal firearms.
• Strengthening efforts to dismantle organised criminal networks and disrupt the structures that facilitate violent crime and extortion.
• Establishing a firearm destruction facility in the Western Cape to support the efficient and secure destruction of confiscated firearms.
• Improving rural safety.
• improving cooperation and coordination between SAPS and other law enforcement agencies, including the enhancement of intelligence-gathering, and sharing.
• Strengthening cooperation between SAPS and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), with a particular focus on ensuring that investigations translate into successful prosecutions and convictions; and
• Improving the experience of residents when accessing policing services, particularly at Community Service Centres.

Minister Marais said, “The appointment of a new Provincial Commissioner gives us an opportunity to strengthen cooperation and adjust how we collectively approach policing and safety in the Western Cape. My responsibility is one of oversight, but effective oversight must be informed by constructive engagement, transparency and a shared understanding of the safety challenges facing our communities.”

Lt General Dyantyi indicated that his priorities are closely aligned with those identified by Minister Marais, with a particular focus on addressing the proliferation of illegal firearms, tackling organised crime, improving the experience of residents who interact with SAPS at Community Service Centres, and ensuring that investigations result in more successful prosecutions and convictions.

Minister Marais also reiterated her concern regarding the resourcing of policing in the Western Cape, noting that the province require adequate human, financial and operational resources to respond effectively to its policing demands.

Minister Marais said, “Resources remain a significant concern, and I will continue engaging with national government on the need to properly resource policing in the Western Cape. We cannot expect our police to meet the demands placed on them without ensuring that they have the personnel, equipment and other resources required to do their jobs effectively.”

Both Minister Marais and General Dyantyi agreed to strengthen their respective efforts around the identified priorities, improve cooperation and coordination.

Minister Marais and Lt General Dyantyi further undertook to maintain open and transparent communication, work constructively within their respective mandates and present a united front on matters of common interest.

Media Enquiries:
Kurt Nefdt
Acting MLO to Minister Anroux Marais
Cell: 084 285 1975 
Email: Kurt.Nefdt@westerncape.gov.za