Statement by MEC Plato - Western Cape Provincial Safety Advisory Committee

Statement by Dan Plato, Western Cape Minister of Community Safety

Western Cape Provincial Safety Advisory Committee meets for the first time

Date: 11 April 2018

Release: Immediate

[Note to editors: A short description of each Committee member is attached to this press release] Click here to download

Yesterday, the Western Cape Provincial Safety Advisory Committee (PSAC) met for the first time outline their mandate for the year, meet senior departmental staff and to discuss their terms of reference.

The newly established Committee, as per Section 25 of the Western Cape Community Safety Act, aim to strategically guide and enable the Province and the Department and other role players to perform their functions optimally.

As required by the Act, the Committee consists of:

• Judge Ntlupheko James Yekiso as a member of the judiciary, who has also been appointed Chairperson;
• Mr Crispin Sonn, representative of the business community;
• Professor Clifford Shearing, as a senior member of an academic institution with experience in the field of criminology;
• Ms Clare Ballard, as a representative from the non-governmental organisations involved in policing or related areas; and
• Mr Gideon Morris, our Head of Department, as ex officio member of the committee.

The responsibility of the Committee is to advise and make recommendations to the Provincial Minister of Community Safety on the functions of the Province in terms of Chapter 11 of the Constitution and Chapter 8 of the Constitution of the Western Cape, 1997, which includes providing inputs into strategies, policies, budgets and annual performance plans as well as the Regulations in terms of the Act.

The members were appointed for the three year term and will be meeting at least on a quarterly basis.

At yesterday’s inaugural meeting, discussions and considerations of the committee included the outline of the mandate and key policy priorities of the Department, the portfolios of each Chief Directorate as well as the current safety challenges in the province and beyond.

I welcome the new members to our safety family and wish them all the best as we work, Better Together. I look forward to the valuable insights and advice the committee will be providing on a quarterly basis as their contribution to the improvement of safety in the Western Cape.