Grant Pascoe
The DA wants people to believe that the National Coloured Congress, the Patriotic Alliance, GOOD, and Al Jama-ah are against fighting crime. They are spreading this message because these parties voted against a Democratic Alliance motion that asked for investigative powers to be given to the City of Cape Town. But the truth is very different.
Democratic Alliance Already Controls Huge Safety Budget
The DA already controls a safety and security budget of over R6.7 billion in the City. They already run Metro Police, LEAP officers, Traffic Services, Law Enforcement, CCTV systems, and special units. If they were serious about fighting crime, the results would be clear. But the facts show failure.
Gang violence is worse than ever.
Communities Still Under Gang Siege
Communities like Hanover Park, Manenberg, Bonteheuwel, and Delft remain under siege. Children are still being shot in the streets. Gangs operate freely. The DA’s systems have not made any difference to the daily reality of fear and violence in these areas.
R86 million was spent on CCTV, yet crimes go unseen and unpunished.
CCTV Spending With Little Impact
People have asked where the cameras are every time a shooting or robbery takes place. Many are broken, badly placed, or not monitored at all. Even when footage is available, it is not used to arrest anyone. The City cannot even protect public clinics or hospitals from armed attacks. In one recent incident, staff were robbed inside Tygerberg Hospital. The DA made no changes and showed no leadership.
LEAP Officers More PR Than Protection
LEAP is not a success. It is a PR stunt. The DA brags about more than one thousand LEAP officers. But they are badly trained, poorly placed, and often avoid the most dangerous areas. The City’s own documents show that LEAP has not reduced gang violence or made communities feel safer.
Law Enforcement Targets Poor, Not Crime
The DA uses Law Enforcement to attack the poor, not criminals.
Instead of protecting people, they use these officers to evict the homeless, remove street traders, and break up peaceful protests. There is no real focus on preventing crime or helping victims. Their approach is about image, not impact.
Now they want to shift the blame and ask for more power. They claim they want to help SAPS and the NPA, but what they really want is control. This motion was not about justice. It was a political tactic. It is designed to make it look like others do not care about safety while hiding the DA’s own failures.
ALSO READ: THE COLOURED DECOY – How Violence Is Used to Distract Us and Protect Political Power
DA Crime Motion About Power, Not Justice
The parties who voted against the motion made the right choice. Giving the City investigative powers when it cannot even use its current tools properly would be irresponsible. The DA has all the power it needs. It has the money. It has the staff. But it does not have the results.
This is a distraction. Do not be fooled by propaganda. The DA has failed to protect the Cape Flats. It is now using fear to cover up the truth.
Editor’s Note: Wouldn’t the Devolution of Investigative Powers need to be legislated by the National Assembly, via the Police Ministry and be tested by the Constitutional Court?
