Police Oversight and Community Safety
Given the serious allegations of gang infiltration currently under investigation:
- (a) What steps has her Department taken to verify independently the extent of the cooperation by the Provincial Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Patekile, with the Ombudsman and IPID and (b) what mechanisms are in place to ensure that this cooperation leads to concrete accountability and systemic corrective action;
- whether her Department has verified claims made by the Premier that the Provincial Commissioner turned down the offer and the request by him to launch a lifestyle audit; if so, what are the relevant details;
- what are the steps that her Department is taking to (a) safeguard the SAPS from criminal infiltration and (b) restore public confidence in the province’s policing structures?
(1) (a) I requested the Western Cape Police Ombudsman to brief me on the process his office followed during its investigation of the complaint, and this briefing has already taken place. In addition, I requested and received a similar briefing from IPID.
To obtain a balanced and comprehensive account of how events unfolded, the Provincial Police Commissioner, Lt. General Patekile, was summoned to appear before the Western Cape Cabinet to address allegations of unresponsiveness and a lack of cooperation with both the Office of the Western Cape Police Ombudsman and IPID.
(b) We are exploring ways to strengthen the mandate and powers of the Western Cape Police Ombudsman to ensure that its recommendations can be effectively enforced. This will enhance accountability and reinforce oversight of policing functions.
(2) I am aware of the requests made by Premier Alan Winde to Lt. General Patekile for lifestyle audits to be conducted on certain senior managers within the Western Cape SAPS. I was present at a recent Cabinet meeting where the Premier reiterated this request to the Provincial Commissioner and went further by offering to cover the costs of these lifestyle audits. It was, however, evident that Lt. General Patekile was not inclined to accept the offer or to proceed with the audits.
(3) (a) Unfortunately, the Province does not have administrative or decision-making authority over the South African Police Service. However, we fully support Premier Alan Winde’s call for lifestyle audits to be conducted on senior SAPS management in the Western Cape. In my view, this is one of the most effective measures available to us to prevent and deter corruption within the upper ranks of the police.
(b) The Western Cape Department of Police Oversight and Community Safety is committed to strengthening the relationship between SAPS and communities through constructive dialogue and meaningful partnerships. We facilitate open engagement between SAPS and residents through established structures such as Community Police Forums (CPFs) and Neighbourhood Watches (NHWs).
We also highlight SAPS’ successes in combating violent crime, including targeted operations and the confiscation of illegal firearms and ammunition. These are efforts that residents are often unaware of, which can lead to unnecessary despondency and mistrust.
I believe that sustained dialogue and stronger collaboration between SAPS and communities are essential to rebuilding and enhancing trust.
