Minister Fritz welcomes Department’s R8.4million budget increase

Minister Fritz welcomes Department’s R8.4million budget increase to implement WC Safety Plan

The Minister of Community Safety, Albert Fritz, welcomes the Department of Community Safety’s second adjustment budget for the 2020/21 financial year, noting that the Department is among the only Departments to have received a nominal increase totaling at approximately R8.4 million.

Minister Fritz has welcomed the second adjustment budget, which is being tabled in the Western Cape Provincial Legislature today, as it will greatly assist in the implementation of the Western Cape Safety Plan. Minister Fritz and Departmental officials previously presented the budget to the Standing Committee on Community Safety, Cultural Affairs and Sports on 27 November 2020.

Minister Fritz said, “The first adjusted budget estimate, which aimed to mitigate against the impact of Covid-19 has been revised from its original allocation of R804.056 million to R776.089 million. The current or second adjustments process has resulted in an allocation of R784.458 million to the Department. I am pleased to announce that this represents a nominal increase of 1.08% or R8.369 million.”

Minister Fritz added, “The Department of Community Safety has been fortunate enough to be one of the only Departments which has seen an increase in its allocation, amid the constrained socio-economic environment we find ourselves in. The reason being that the allocation will assist in implementing the Western Cape Safety Plan which constitute as a safety priority within the Western Cape Government’s Recovery Plan.”

The second adjustment budget will:

• Contribute towards the implementation of the Western Cape Safety Plan’s Area Based Teams within the province’s crime hotspots (R2 million);
• Assist in the training and placement of Peace Officers across the province (R2 million); and
• Support the implementation of the Safety Ambassadors' project which will see the recruitment, training and deployment of 1000 youth, women and differently abled persons as violence prevention practitioners (R20 million).

Minister Fritz added further, “The Department has received R20 million towards the implementation of the safety ambassador programme. The new recruits will not only operate in schools and municipalities, they will also work in their communities. As we are experiencing a resurgence in COVID-19 cases, safety ambassadors will further assist their communities in complying with COVID-19 safety protocols and regulation.”

Minister Fritz concluded, “While I am grateful that the Department has received an increase to fully implement the Safety Plan, we are operating amid a severely constrained economic environment and severe budget cuts. I am under no illusions and know that we must deliver and ensure that this allocation achieves its intended purposes.”