Police Oversight and Community Safety
In the light of the review of the Western Cape Safety Plan that was presented to the Standing Committee on the Premier and Constitutional Matters on 1 October 2025:
- Whether the phrase “equitable distribution of SAPS resources” used in the review refers to the inequitable distribution of SAPS resources between provinces in the Republic; if so, (a) what is the basis of this assertion and (b) what are the details of the current inequitable distribution of SAPS resources across provinces; if not,
- whether the phrase refers to the inequitable distribution of SAPS resources in the province itself, that is between SAPS stations or precinct; if so, what are the details of the current inequitable distribution of SAPS resources in the province;
- whether the Provincial Commissioner is empowered to review or adjust the allocation of SAPS resources already in the province in order to achieve a more equitable or effective distribution; if so,
- whether the Province has proposed any amendments or made any recommendations regarding the distribution of police resources between SAPS stations or precincts; if not, what are the reasons why no such proposals have been made; if so, what are the details of the proposed reallocation of SAPS resources;
- whether any independent research bodies were consulted to evaluate the Western Cape Safety Plan; if not, why not; if so, (a) which research bodies were consulted and (b) what were the key outcomes or findings of those evaluations;
- whether the evaluations in (5) above will be made publicly available; if not, why not?
(1) (a) The Safety Plan ver 2.0 refers to the need for equitable distribution of policing resources within the province.
(b) The reference is to unequal distribution of resources within the province.
(2) In this context, the phrase refers to inequitable distribution of resources within the provinces and among police precincts. The Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of Police Inefficiency and a Breakdown in Relations between SAPS and the Community of Khayelitsha found in 2014 that the system for human resource allocation used by the SAPS resulted in the under-resourcing at police stations that bore the brunt of apartheid, and were often experiencing the highest levels of serious contact crime, were often the most under-resources. It recommended that the system for the allocation of human resources be changed[1]. When this system remained unchanged in the years following the Commission, the Social Justice Coalition and other organisations referred the matter to the Equality Court. In its 2018 judgment on the merits, the court found that the allocation of Police Human Resources in the Western Cape unfairly discriminates against Black and poor people on the basis of race and poverty; and declared that the system employed by the SAPS to determine the allocation of police human resources, in so far as it has been shown in the Western Cape province, unfairly discriminates against Black and poor people on the basis of race and poverty.[2] Unfortunately, the court did not make a finding on the remedy on the matter, and the case was referred back to the parties for resolution. In the meantime, the SAPS amended their system for the allocation of resources, but this has not made an impact on the allocated or actual human resources allocated to the province.
Figures provided by SAPS from 31 March 2024 indicate that the top 10 murder precincts for that period are still among those that have proportionately fewer police per population than many other areas. The police to population ratio in the province at that time was 1 police officer to every 435 people. However, the ratio for the top ten murder precincts was much worse, ranging from 1:476 in Phillipi East to 1:962 in Gugulethu at the highest (see table 1 below). By way of comparison, areas like Rondebosch have a police to population ratio of 1:381; Sea Point 1:414; or Wynberg 1:238.
Table 1: Human Resources in the top 10 murder stations in the Western Cape as of 31 March 2024[3]
No | Top 10 murder stations as at 31 March 2024 [4] | SAPS Act (Actual) | PSA (Actual) | Total (Actual) | Total (Granted) | Vacancy rate | % vacancy | Police to population ratio |
| Western Cape | 16,242 | 2,898 | 19,322 | 21,079 | -1,757 | -8% | 1:435 |
1. | Delft | 242 | 37 | 279 | 360 | -81 | -23% | 1:808 |
2. | Nyanga | 301 | 43 | 344 | 446 | -102 | -23% | 1:590 |
3. | Gugulethu | 162 | 24 | 186 | 232 | -46 | -20% | 1:962 |
4. | Mfuleni | 258 | 31 | 289 | 356 | -67 | -19% | 1:573 |
5. | Harare | 267 | 17 | 284 | 341 | -57 | -17% | 1:810 |
6. | Khayelitsha | 301 | 34 | 335 | 402 | -67 | -17% | 1:654 |
7. | Philippi East | 153 | 16 | 169 | 208 | -39 | -19% | 1:476 |
8. | Kraaifontein | 256 | 37 | 293 | 346 | -53 | -15% | 1:805 |
9. | Mitchell's Plain | 392 | 38 | 430 | 505 | -75 | -15% | 1:624 |
10. | Philippi | 97 | 20 | 117 | 140 | -23 | -16% | 1:697 |
(3) S 12(3) of the South African Police Service Act, No. 68 of 1995 provides that a ‘Provincial Commissioner shall determine the distribution of the strength of the Service under his or her jurisdiction in the province among the different areas, station offices and units.’
Please refer this question to SAPS to respond
(4) The province has repeatedly recommended to the SAPS that the system for the allocation of resources needs to ensure that those precincts experiencing the highest levels of serious crimes and in the most disadvantaged areas need to be better resourced and that the allocation for resourcing needs to be more equitable.
(5) (a) The Western Cape Safety Plan (2019 – 2024) has not yet been evaluated, and no research bodies have been consulted in this regard.
(b) there are no findings as yet.
(6) Not applicable.
[1] Recommendation 7. Towards a Safer Khayelitsha: The Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of Police Inefficiency and a Breakdown in Relations between SAPS and the Community of Khayelitsha, 2014.
[2] Social Justice Coalition and Others v Minister of Police and Others, Equality Court, Case No EC03/2016.
[3] Correspondence from Lt Gen Patekile, Provincial Commissioner to Head of Department, Police Oversight and Community Safety. 19 July 2024.
[4] South African Police Service. (2024). Presentation on Police Recorded Crime Statistics Western Cape 2023/24. p.20.
