Cape Town to promote Strong Cities Network

14 April 2023

STATEMENT BY THE CITY'S SAFETY AND SECURITY PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE CHAIRPERSON, COUNCILLOR MZWAKHE NQAVASHE

The City of Cape Town plans to convene a gathering of municipalities in the coming months, to promote and advocate for them to join the United Nations Strong Cities Network.

Cape Town is the first South African city to join the Network, which was established at the UN General Assembly in 2015, to mount a city-led response against hate, polarisation, and extremism.

In February, I joined participants from 35 African countries in Ethiopia for discussions around an integrated response to countering violent extremism (CVE) in our countries.

The aim was to exchange ideas, experiences, and challenges in developing and operationalising policies and programmes that enhance trust, cohesion and coordination among the relevant stakeholders, and to help establish realistic frameworks and early warning systems.

Following this conference, the City's Safety and Security Directorate will finalise its draft framework on countering and preventing violent extremism.

Some of the main points of this framework are:

·       Communication campaigns to counteract threats of violent extremism

·       Youth directed interventions

·       Utilising community partnerships

·       Supporting joint policing efforts through the establishment of the Safer City Nerve Centre

·       Ongoing research and development

However, the City will also push to involve other cities on the continent that are not yet party to the Strong Cities Network, including our fellow metropolitan municipalities in South Africa.

I will therefore co-ordinate with the Network to convene a round table session at the end of May – either in Cape Town or Johannesburg - and encourage these cities to take up membership.

End

Published by:
City of Cape Town, Media Office