Minister Fritz welcomes WCPO report on police resources and inefficiencies

The Minister of Community Safety, Albert Fritz, welcomes the Western Cape Police Ombudsman's 2018/19 Annual Report and its report on policing in the Overstrand region which were delivered in the Standing Committee on Community Safety today. Please see the report and presentation attached.

The report was presented to the Provincial Standing Committee on Community Safety which, as per the Constitutional powers of such a multi-party committee, reviewed the report.

Minister Fritz said, “On Tuesday, 30 July 2019, I received the report on the ‘Complaint of Poor Response’ at the Gansbaai, Kleinmond, Hermanus and Stanford SAPS stations from the Western Cape Police Ombudsman, Mr JJ Brand. The report focused on the resources of SAPS in the region and highlighted that amongst the criminal activities plaguing the Overstand is the poaching of abalone.”

Minister Fritz said, “The complaint about police inefficiencies in the areas was found by the Police Ombudsman to be substantiated. The Western Cape Police Ombudsman submitted his report to me in my capacity as the Minister of Community Safety as per the requirements set out in Section 17(8) of the Western Cape Community Safety Act, 2013. I then referred the report to the Standing Committee on Community Safety.”

It was recommended that the current policing model be referred to the relevant Standing Committee as well as the approach taken by the province to determine whether sector policing is still applied in the Western Cape. This should be studied in line with the judgement in Social Justice Coalition and Others V Minister of Police and Others (EC03/2016) [2018] ZAWCHC 181 (14 December 2018).

Minister Fritz said, “I welcome this report which is indicative of the valuable work undertaken by the Western Cape Police Ombudsman. Public support of this work is critically important. I would like to thank the Ombudsman for sharing these insightful recommendations which are rooted in empirical evidence. I will work closely with my Department to ensure that the relevant recommendations are implemented.”

Under the leadership of Minister Albert Fritz, the Department of Community Safety will continue to use every tool at its disposal to safeguard rural and urban communities in the Western Cape against police inefficiency. 

Attention broadcasters, please find English audio clip attached.