Police efficacy probed

Anti-gang units under scrutiny in the Western Cape, Eastern Cape and Gauteng

CONVENTIONAL policing in three provinces in the country, including the Western Cape, are not effective in dealing with crime.

That is why specialists units such as the Anti-Gang Unit (AGU) have been established in Western Cape, Eastern Cape and Gauteng. Briefing the police portfolio committee, Major-General Leon Rabie said the three provinces were identified as gang activity hotspots: “Looking at the preliminary impact of the strategy, the majority of the schools in areas identified by the anti-gang units are functional but not without problems.”

Rabie said over 1 500 schools have been linked to police stations through school safety committees that were set up in conjunction with the AGU.

In discussing the implementation and the effectiveness of anti-gang strategy and the roll-out of its units, the committee invited civil society groups and community leaders from four different provinces to provide testimony on their experiences and concerns about the law enforcement in gang-infested areas.

Police bosses Police Minister Bheki Cele, Police Commissioner Khehla Sitole, Provincial Commissioner of the Western Cape, Khombinkosi Jula and Rabie presented the anti-gang unit’s provincial capabilities and its narrative, modus operandi, successes, preliminary impacts, and implementation pillars which included the human development, social partnerships, environmental design and criminal justice process.

Sitole said a safer city model is being drafted in consultation with relevant stakeholders: “A number of registered operations for six provinces have been listed.”

Sitole said 66 gang profiles have been profiled for investigation thus far.

There have been over 300 arrests made, and the Western Cape has 221 arrests and 77 firearms seized, followed by the Free State (39) with no firearm seized, the Eastern Cape with 36 and 19 firearms seized, KwaZulu-Natal with 29 and four firearms seized, and Gauteng nine with four illegal firearms retrieved. There are 1 132 gang-related cases in court, with 2 352 dockets and 33 inquiries, and 1 188 cases under investigation.

Committee chairperson Francois Beukman said police’s ability to deal with organised crime and specifically organised gangs is key to ensure that the recommendations of the National Development Plan about the re-establishment of specialised units are fully implemented.

... the majority of the schools in areas identified by the anti-gang units are functional ...

Leon Rabie Major-General