The Democratic Alliance (DA) has launched a new campaign to address what it describes as the imminent collapse of the South African Police Service (SAPS) in the Western Cape, citing severe staff shortages and overwhelming caseloads that are leaving communities vulnerable to escalating crime.
DA Western Cape Leader Tertius Simmers announced the “Power To Protect” campaign on Monday, calling for urgent intervention from national government to address critical policing deficiencies that have seen Cape Town lose more than 1,300 police officers over the past five years.
According to the DA, the province’s policing crisis has reached critical levels: Cape Town has lost 1,313 SAPS officers over five years – Detectives are overwhelmingly overloaded with cases – The city has fewer SAPS vehicles, resulting in reduced patrols and longer response times – Communities face daily violence with families mourning loved ones “gunned down in their own streets and homes”
Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis recently confirmed the declining SAPS deployment figures, highlighting the growing gap between policing needs and available resources.
While national policing resources have diminished, local authorities have attempted to fill the void. The City of Cape Town has trained over 1,000 new Metro Police and Law Enforcement officers and deployed additional vehicles to compensate for the SAPS shortfall.
The Western Cape Government’s Law Enforcement Advancement Plan (LEAP), implemented in 2020, has shown measurable results: 45,447 total arrests – 31,237 drug-related arrests
– 841 illegal firearms seized.
DA spokesperson Benedicta van Minnen MPP, said that despite LEAP’s impact, much more needs to be done to address the underlying crisis.
The DA’s campaign centers on two key demands to national government:
Amendment to SAPS Act: The party is calling on the Acting Police Minister to amend Section 64E(c) of the SAPS Act to include “the prevention and investigation of crime,” which would devolve policing powers to capable municipalities.
Expanded municipal powers: The DA wants the Justice and Constitutional Development Minister to replace Schedule in Government Notice 1114, expanding the powers of municipal peace officers to respond to a wider variety of crimes.
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“With a stroke of the pen, the Acting Police Minister can devolve policing powers to capable municipalities,” Simmers said, arguing that political considerations should not override public safety concerns.
The human cost of the policing crisis has been severe, with families across the province experiencing daily threats from crime and gang violence. The DA argues that the situation has reached a point where “mothers bury sons, children lose parents, and communities live in constant fear.”
Simmers said that the crisis stems not from a lack of local commitment to fighting crime, but from national government’s failure to provide adequate policing resources.
As part of the campaign, the DA has launched an online petition encouraging residents to support the call for expanded municipal policing powers. The petition which aims to demonstrate public support for the proposed changes, is available here.
“Our residents deserve and desperately need safer communities,” Simmers said, calling on national ministers to “subdue politicking and put the people first.”
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