Cele is ‘indifferent’ to policing needs: MEC

POLICE Minister Bheke Cele’s office has refused to respond to community safety MEC Alan Winde’s attack over the number of police officers in the province.

Winde complained about the ratio of population to police officers in other parts of the country compared with the Western Cape.

“The national average is one officer for every 369 residents. The Western Cape average is 1:509. Residents of Cape Town have an even worse deal, with only one police officer for every 560 residents,” Winde said .

He added that the problem was worsened by a current vacancy rate of 1 307 police officers.

Winde said that according to the ratios “we should have a further 4 500 officers to get our fair share. Instead, what we have seen is the number of officers in our province go backwards from 22 038 in 2013, to 20 969 today”.

“It is becoming abundantly clear that local SAPS officers’ hands are tied by their Pretoria head office.”

Winde said that Cele was still unresponsive to the Western Cape’s policing needs.

He claimed that the unresponsive Cele emerged after he met provincial commissioner Lieutenant-General Khombinkosi Jula on Wednesday, to whom he said he gave feedback on “our offer of funds to reignite the reservist programme and offer to deploy Western Cape government staff to do administration duties at stations”.

Winde said in both cases Jula noted that he was still awaiting a directive from his national counterparts.

“This underscores a key systemic fault in South Africa around policing.

“Crime happens on our streets, at our doorsteps, in our communities. It is a local issue. It is not right that the ‘big bosses’ sit in Pretoria 1 500km away from the crime scenes behind the safety of their desks.”

Cele’s office referred queries to the provincial office, which in turn said head office must respond.