The Democratic Alliance (DA) has reiterated its call for the urgent devolution of certain policing powers to the City of Cape Town Metropolitan Police Service and the Western Cape provincial authorities. The party insists that the long-overdue Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the City of Cape Town, the Western Cape Government, the Minister of Police, and the South African Police Service (SAPS) must be finalized without further delay. Such a move, the DA argues, is essential to alleviating pressure on SAPS and expediting efforts to combat the entrenched gang violence plaguing the Cape Flats.
The DA expressed grave concern over the current state of forensic backlogs, particularly in ballistic testing. These delays have severely hampered investigations into gang-related gun crimes, allowing suspects to escape justice due to the absence of timely evidence. The party called the situation unacceptable, stressing that local authorities must be empowered to conduct their own forensic investigations, including ballistic testing, rather than relying on overstretched national laboratories. By working directly with relevant prosecutors, municipal and provincial law enforcement can ensure that gangsters and gun traffickers are brought to justice with airtight cases.
To strengthen the fight against gangs, the DA has also proposed the formation of a Joint Task Force aimed at dismantling gang networks and cutting off their power sources. The envisioned task force would unite various government bodies under a single coordinated effort to tackle gang-related crime. This includes investigating tax evasion and illicit financial flows linked to gang leaders, launching intelligence-driven operations to apprehend key players, conducting targeted raids on known gang hotspots, and closely monitoring gang mobility on public roads. Successful prosecutions would be prioritized through collaboration with the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).
The party also took aim at what it described as the national policing model’s failure in the Cape Flats. Despite numerous operations by the City of Cape Town and the Western Cape Government to remove illegal guns from the streets, the conviction rate for these crimes remains below 1%. DA representatives highlighted a recurring issue where SAPS and the NPA fail to follow through effectively after local authorities have made arrests. One of the most frequent complaints concerns delays in ballistic testing—an essential forensic process that could easily be devolved to local authorities.
In addition to forensic backlogs, operational failures at SAPS stations further undermine crime-fighting efforts. The DA cited a recent incident at Grassy Park SAPS, where a lack of evidence bags prevented officers from logging crucial criminal evidence, including imitation firearms and items related to drug crimes. This failure risks contaminating evidence, making it more difficult to secure convictions and sending a troubling signal about the inefficiency of current systems.
The DA is also demanding accountability at the leadership level. The party has called for the immediate implementation of a skills audit for SAPS senior management, a resolution passed by Parliament in 2024 but not yet enforced. The audit is intended to assess whether senior leaders are competent for their roles. Following the audit, the DA insists that integrity testing be conducted to identify and remove any corrupt elements within the SAPS leadership. Removing corrupt officials, the party argues, is essential to restoring public confidence and enabling the police to carry out their duties without internal interference.
While critical of leadership failings, the DA praised the dedication and sacrifices of the many SAPS officers who continue to work tirelessly under difficult conditions. The party emphasized the need to provide better working conditions and resources to these officers, who remain committed to protecting South African communities.
The DA insists national government must either take decisive action or step aside and allow municipal and provincial authorities to assume greater responsibility. With gang violence turning the Cape Flats into a virtual war zone, the DA is determined to keep fighting for a policing model that is proactive, efficient, and accountable. If national authorities refuse to address these challenges meaningfully, the DA believes local law enforcement must be empowered to take the fight directly to the criminals and restore peace to affected communities.
