CAPE TOWN – The Grassy Park Community Policing Forum (GPCPF) says the deployment of the army on the Cape Flats is a welcome addition in curbing crime but feels more needs to be done to safeguard residents.
Western Cape Premier Alan Winde also welcomed the planned deployment of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) to support the South African Police Service in tackling gang violence, after President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the intervention during his State of the Nation Address (Sona) at Cape Town City Hall on Thursday 12 February.
GPCPF is aware that the army brings much-needed relief and safter streets but “soldiers are not trained for community policing, and lasting safety requires a broader strategy.”
GPCPF is still calling for an increase in police visibility, capacity and resources as well as greater support for CPF’s to mobilise communities and youth development programmes to divert young people from gangs.
GPCPF welcomes deployment
In light of this, People’s Post spoke with chair Nicole Jacobus who shared her thoughts on the matter.
“I welcome the support of the army for our police services, but the question is for how long will they be in our communities. It shouldn’t be announced when the army is going into the area; we must protect the element of surprise,” she noted.
The GPCPF says they want the deployment to help eradicate gangsterism from their areas.
“We see on a daily basis how many people have been killed over the past few months, so we hope this will make a difference in our communities and see a decrease in gang violence and see the army work with our police and the City of Cape Town’s metro law enforcement. We also want to know how the army will work with our local CPF’s and neighbourhood watches. There must be some partnership being built,” she said.
She urges residents not to attack or interfere in the line of work of the army officers.
Must co-operate
“We’ve seen the plea for the army to come in since last year, so now we must work and co-operate with their instructions.
To the community I ask them to get involved with their CPF’s, get to know the leadership so that we can hold the police force and the army accountable. We must also be aware of their protocols as they are doing their best in our communities,” she said.
GPCPF is aware that the army brings much-needed relief and safer streets but notes that their role is temporary and says that “soldiers are not trained for community policing, and lasting safety requires a broader strategy”.
People’s Post reached out to the Steenberg Community Police Forum for comment but they could not respond before the time of publication.
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