The gang war that is claiming scores of lives on the Cape Flats has reached mafia-like levels and involves transnational trafficking and arms dealing.
“These gangs are now evolving into organised crime, transnational crime,” said Minister of Police Prof Firoz Cachalia. “You see how rich these people are becoming.”
Addressing community stakeholders at a meeting on Tuesday 9 September, he added that the problem was country-wide and “we are behind the curve”.
The packed Mitchell’s Plain Police Station boardroom was standing room-only during the engagement, and one resident criticised the panel, made up of national and provincial, police and oversight heavyweights, for ejecting members of the public to make room for politicians and top brass.
Cachalia agreed, saying the purpose of the meeting was to engage with the community and a bigger venue should have been arranged.
He said the meeting was among several parliamentary engagements, including a previous engagement with the Provincial Commissioner and Head of Crime Intelligence, and a meeting with Premier Alan Winde tomorrow (Thursday 11 September).
Of his meeting with the policing heads Cachalia said: “The provincial commissioner and the head of crime intelligence, presented me with a plan. They must still implement that plan. They must still resource that plan.”
He said the root cause of the violence is poverty.
“The reason we are having all this is that the country has a socio-economic-development crisis. The democracy we fought for has not solved those problems. Let’s be very clear; we have freedom without bread.”
An integrated approach
Most speakers called for an integrated approach to the crisis, not just between provincial and national governments, but also among the various national departments.
MEC for Police Oversight and Community Safety Anroux Marais said: “Gang violence is not just a policing issue; it is a social crisis. It thrives where hope is scarce, where opportunities are limited and young people are left behind.”
She highlighted the Mitchell’s Plain Safety and Development Plan, which is the fruit of the Mitchell’s Plain and Lentegeur community policing forums’ (CPF) call to action at the start of the most recent gang warfare flare-up two months ago, “a reflection of shared commitment, our collective voice and our firm belief that change is possible when we work together.” Marais said she welcomed Cachalia as a partner.
Addressing a question from the audience of how far the plan was from implementation, she said: “The launch will be at the beginning of October.”
Marais said that neighbourhood watches, CPFs and residents had met regularly every Saturday over the last few months to finalise the plan and the Mitchell’s Plain Development Forum posts had been advertised.
‘Pull the politics out of it’
National Assembly chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Police Ian Cameron said gang kingpins needed to be targeted.
“The model of a high number of low-level arrests doesn’t work. It’s no use arresting 100 foot soldiers when the kingpins just continue. They are the ones who should be targeted.”
Cameron also called for an integrated approach: “I always say that when the Minister of Police announces crime statistics it’s important he is not sitting there alone with the management of police. The departments of Social Development and Justice should be sitting there with the police because each has a significant role to play. If that mindshift doesn’t happen we can blame the police all we like, and yes the police aren’t perfect, but it will only be a half-baked story if we only point the finger at police, because there is a whole broader system that needs to work together perfectly.”
Cameron also addressed the recent calls by the City and the province for a devolution of powers from the state for policing.
“Just in terms of policing powers devolution was mentioned earlier”, he said. “I can tell you now that even if the police had all the will in the world there is physically no way they can combat every kind of crime we face in the country if we don’t take an integrated approach and make sure we use the relevant force multipliers.”
Cameron encouraged government to “pull the politics out”.
“It’s critical for us. Imagine what could result if Metro and the South African Police Service worked together just on gang-related gun offences. The legislation already allows it, and there’s nothing that says it can’t be done. It would be a game changer and immediately we would have a lot more capacity. Pull the politics out because at the end of the day it is not the politicians or the police that suffer, but the community.”
Cachalia said a stabilisation plan was needed to address the “multi-faceted crisis” of gang warfare. “We need such a plan! We need to go on the offensive against the drug lords, stabilise our communities and make we are in charge, not the criminals. But this plan that we need to defeat the gangs I do not believe is in place yet.”
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