Support the City’s continued participation in the Cooperation Agreement task team and endorse the establishment of a joint technical workstream comprising representatives from various stakeholders
The support of the Mayoral Committee formally mandates the City Manager to initiate and pursue the matter in accordance with the Intergovernmental Relations Framework Act 13 of 2005, requesting the devolution of specific investigative, crime intelligence and forensic powers from the relevant authorities to aid the SAPS in their duties.
‘As stated before, devolution will help to improve the fight against crime and improve public safety for communities - particularly those crippled by gang violence. And, while the fight until now has focused on increased powers for Metro Police, the City is also rallying for increased Municipal peace officer powers to strengthen Law Enforcement Departments not just in Cape Town, but across the province,' said the Chairperson of the Safety and Security Portfolio Committee, Councillor Mzwakhe Nqavashe.
Should the formal process through the Intergovernmental Relations Framework fail to achieve the required outcomes, the City will approach the courts.
The devolution of policing powers in South Africa is not a new concept, but the last meaningful amendment happened in 2018 when the Minister of Justice increased crime prevention powers for municipal peace officers.
The move empowered the Law Enforcement Advancement Plan (LEAP), with great success and proved that local government can contribute meaningfully in the fight against crime.
‘There have been calls from numerous quarters for increased powers for municipal enforcement services, but with no real movement since the last increase for peace officers. The motion for devolution was supported by the Mayoral Committee and the City can initiate next steps, as a last resort.
'Cape Town continues to experience very high crime levels, particularly linked to gang violence. The City can do more and we have proven as much. While SAPS continues to rely very heavily on our manpower and on the ground support, they remain unwilling to give us additional powers to help,' said Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith.
End
