The Democratic Alliance (DA) leader Mmusi Maimane says his party will fight for the decentralisation of policing and give provinces more power in crime fighting and community protection.
Maimane was speaking at a Voter Registration Rally at Bontehuewel on the Cape Flats.
The DA leader used the opportunity to take credit for the recently established Police’s Anti Gang Unit. He says after years of advocating for such a specialised unit in the gang-ridden Cape Flats townships, the ruling party eventually relented.
He says now his party will fight for the Provincial Police Force to be managed at provincial level.
Maimane believes bringing the management of the police closer to the people is the only solution to deal with gangsterism and the country’s rampant incidents of crime.
Bonteheuwel is notorious for gangsterism and drugs which often result in the death of innocent people.
Under the DA, SAPS will be transformed into a highly trained, highly motivated crime-fighting machine.
Criminals will have nowhere to hide, & we will ensure that arrests are followed by prosecutions & convictions.
We need #HonestProfessionalPolice.https://t.co/IP6dfwiTZn
— Democratic Alliance (@Our_DA) January 5, 2019
Our plan also involves rigorous testing of all police recruits, as well as more practical training & simulated learning at police academies.
It involves regular firearm testing, crowd control training, as well as mentorship for all detectives.#HonestProfessionalPolice is key. pic.twitter.com/EhWgElZoGz
— Democratic Alliance (@Our_DA) January 5, 2019
Maimane has urged people to go and register to vote on the last weekend of this month.
“We have to make sure that we professionalise our police service. We have to make sure that ultimately we have a police service that is staffed that is trained that is resourced and that is equipped.”
In a show of unity, after several internal squabbles that led to the resignation of former Mayor Patricia de Lille,
the DA vowed to close ranks and intensify its fight to capture Gauteng and the Northern Cape, while retaining the Western Cape with a bigger majority than before.
Its trump card, at least according to its senior leaders, is its track record of delivering the best government in the Western Cape.
Party leaders also cautioned their members against complacency, saying they should ensure that their friends and relatives register to vote in May.
The final voter registration days will be on the 26th and 27th of this month.
For more, watch video below:
