Province disputes SJC’s policing claims
Groups demand action over commission’s recommendations
MEMBERS of the Social Justice Coalition (SJC) and Equal Education (EE) marched to the provincial legislature yesterday to demand one of the recommendations of the Khayelitsha Commission of Inquiry be implemented.
According to the SJC and EE, yesterday marked two years since the release of the commission’s final report, which included a recommendation that called on the Department of Community Safety to convene a multi-sectoral task team on youth gangs.
“The recommendation also states that the convened task team should develop a strategic plan to address the issue of youth gangs and that the plan should be implemented within six months of the commission’s report. We are now a year and a half past that six month period and there is still no plan,” the groups said.
The commission was set up to investigate complaints of police inefficiency in the area.
The SJC and EE’s demands, which were outlined in a memorandum, include full implementation of the recommendation in question within six months.
Khayelitsha resident, Phumeza Mlungwana, who participated in the march, said: “I think I’m here today to remind the province, that when we were here in 2011, advocating for a commission of inquiry, we were affected by crime then, and when we fought for the commission of inquiry to continue up until the Constitutional Court, we were affected by crime and when the recommendations came out two years ago, we were hoping that is the first step that will address the challenges that we face.
“The fact is that two years later they haven’t, as a province, which established the commission, done anything to ensure that the commission’s recommendations are implemented”.
In a statement issued by the Premier’s Office, the provincial government disputed the SJC’s claims.
“The Western Cape government has made progress on all the Khayelitsha Commission recommendations directed at us. We dispute any suggestion to the contrary.”
It said 13 of the 20 recommendations made by the commission related directly to the police, and all 20 of the recommendations were dependent on the police.
“The initial opposition by the police to the commission’s findings, and constant instability in police management, has been a major frustration to ourselves and our community partners in Khayelitsha. This situation cannot be resolved by protesting outside our offices.”
According to the statement, the requirement relating to the Community Safety Department establishing a youth gangs task team was being implemented through the Khayelitsha Joint Forum, set up by Major General Brand.
It said this forum was organised into sub-forums looking at key issues such as youth gangs, women and children, reducing the harms related to alcohol and drugs.
“We are ready and willing to expand this work further, once the police sign the long-outstanding Memorandum of Agreement with us, as required by the Commission. Despite several complaints all the way up to the President’s Co-ordinating Council, we still await this signature.”
It said a detailed update on the progress with the commission’s recommendations would be provided today.