Police Minister Bheki Cele has urged Western Cape police to “harden” their hands and follow the example of Kwa-Zulu-Natal police when dealing with criminals.
Cele described recent incidents where criminals died in alleged shoot-outs with police as a “win” for police.
He said if criminals decided to engage with police with firepower, it could not be that they should go to collect the bodies of their members.
“It just can’t be. We have seen in KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, Limpopo, that police are winning but this has not been the case here in the Western Cape. I just have not seen this here.
People say we are calling for war when we say this, but look at what happened in Atlantis just a few days ago. We lost our own,” he said.
On Wednesday, 44-year-old Sergeant Adrian Mahoney was shot and killed in Mamre, just outside Atlantis, while responding to a domestic dispute with a colleague, who had a narrow escape.
Cele was speaking at JL Zwane Memorial Church in Gugulethu on Saturday during a community imbizo where he said the overhaul of the local police station’s management would improve service delivery.
Residents raised issues of murders, extortion, car hijackings, gun salutes at the funerals of alleged criminals and gender-based violence.
Cele said after 13 people were killed in the community last year they had deployed more police officers, and more personnel would join in the coming months.
“Under this administration we built Harare police station, Makhaza will be reopened this coming week and we are busy in Tafelsig. Gugulethu’s police station is due to be built in 2026.
“Give this new management team a chance to work with you. Don’t look for small matters or make their work difficult because you have been crying, demanding a change, and it has been made.
“We have worked hard in this province to place top (criminals) behind bars,” said Cele.
Western Cape commissioner Thembisile Patekile said the Gugulethu police station had received a new detective commander, and the top management team had been replaced.
“The post of a new station commander will be filled soon, before the end of June. About 13 personnel will also come. They are currently undergoing what we call work exposure – this will increase visibility. We have identified the police shortages.
“We also urged the community to report when they know someone has a gun, to report it even if you do it anonymously. Heavy weapons are used in these crimes, and if you don’t report, more people are at risk of being killed, including you who is turning a blind eye.
“Extortion in this community also continues to be a problem and sometimes leads to shooting between rivals, and innocent people are killed.”
Patekile assured residents that should information that was shared confidentially reach other people, police members would be dismissed. Gugulethu acting station commander Cyril Nkuna said they had noted all the issues highlighted by residents, and work had already started in identified hotspot areas.
Police Oversight and Community Safety MEC Reagen Allen said they had deployed their LEAP officers and he encouraged residents to report their officers if they didn’t serve as they were deployed.
“Gugulethu is also among the priority areas for CCTV cameras.”
Deputy Justice Minister John Jeffery said they were engaging with the national commissioner on the issue of organised crime where gang leaders and other criminals in prison allegedly carried out “hits”.
Cape Times