Premier’s Safety Digicon – Partnerships and local policing can reduce violent crime

Partnerships and the fact that increased safety and security are an imperative for economic growth and job creation were among the key focuses of an online briefing Premier Alan Winde hosted on 3 December 2025.

The Premier was joined by Western Cape Minister of Police Oversight and Community Safety Anroux Marais and Executive Mayor of Cape Town Geordin Hill-Lewis. Discussions also focused on how intergovernmental partnerships are working to reduce crime, but the South African Police Service (SAPS) urgently needs more resources to effectively carry out its duties as the country’s primary crime-fighting agency.

Minister Marais stressed that for too long, the SAPS in the Western Cape has been grossly under-resourced. “For years now, the Western Cape has been experiencing a steady and alarming decline in operational SAPS officers. Even though the SAPS itself prescribes a minimum of 20,000 operational officers for the province, we are sitting at around 15,327 today. That is the lowest level ever recorded. Out of 151 police precincts in the Western Cape, 116 are understaffed. Only five stations have the staff numbers they are supposed to have. Some of the worst-affected precincts are the ones dealing with the highest levels of violent crime. Areas like Gugulethu, Delft, Bishop Lavis, Nyanga, and others have vacancy rates of between 15% and 22%,” she said.

This decline has had a knock-on effect on the police-to-population ratio, which has worsened dramatically. In 2018, there was 1 officer for every 345 residents. Today, it is around 1:429. But in some high-crime areas, it is far worse: 

• Gugulethu: 1:962
• Delft: 1:808
• Kraaifontein: 1:805
• Mitchells Plain: 1:624 

It was for this reason that the Law Enforcement Advancement Plan (LEAP), launched in partnership with the City of Cape Town (CoCT) over four years ago to support the SAPS.

Mayor Hill-Lewis emphasised, “The approach that the City of Cape Town has taken, in collaboration with the Western Cape Government, has been to deliberately expand the role that we play in crime-fighting to offer more support to the SAPS, which is the lead crime-fighting agency in South Africa. The primary method in which we have done that is by expanding our Metro Police and Law enforcement services.”

Since 2021, the CoCT has expanded its municipal police force by nearly 50%, adding 1,263 new officers to enhance safety in high-risk areas. The SAPS lost 1,300 officers over the same period. Technology, such as ShotSpotter, is also being deployed as an added force multiplier.

To watch a recording of the briefing, visit: https://youtu.be/TwJRPtaZwAQ