STEEK HOM INNIE PAT

CAPE Flats Safety Forum founder Abie Isaacs called for the resignation of Western Cape Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Thembisile Patekile.

He said violent crime innie Kaap was spiralling out of control under his leadership.

The call comes as political parties pointed fingers at one another in a heated debate in the Western Cape Legislature on Thursday. 

The Economic Freedom Fighters, African National Congress and the GOOD Party all slammed the Democratic Alliance (DA) for a failed strategy in battling the bloodshed. 

The DA, on a mission to have policing powers given to the City of Cape Town's safety and security directorate.

Premier Alan Winde called murders the "big elephant in the room" facing the province.

"South Africa records around 27 000 murders a year, and 4 500 of those are in our province," Winde said.

He noted that the Western Cape had 20 000 SAPS members six years ago, but now has only 12 900. 

Winde added: "We cannot win this fight if the numbers keep going backwards. We need a new policing model, and that means devolving policing powers to the province."

But Isaacs laid the blame squarely on Patekile’s shoulders and said the DA are only playing politics.  

He said: "I want to dispel the myth that we only woke up this week and decided to call for his resignation. For us, it is purely because we know for a fact that crime is out of control, and there seems to be nothing done for the past year.”

He said residents feel "under siege" and argued that more people are dying on the Cape Flats than in some war zones.

Isaacs added that Patekile has failed to inspire confidence, even when questioned by the media. saying that “he has not touched base with reality”.

According to Isaacs, the Western Cape needs strong leadership against gangs, as in previous years.

He also raised concerns over the findings from the 2023 Commission of Inquiry into gang collusion with senior police management. 

"The premier responded to us, but he is sitting with the findings of Judge Thulare in 2023, which say gangs were colluding with senior management. That report is still on the table, and the community needs clarity on it.”

Turning to the debate over devolving policing powers to the City of Cape Town, Isaacs said the Safety Forum does not believe this would help.

He explained: "For us, as the Cape Flats Safety Forum, the push for devolution of power is pure political positioning for 2026. What we need is leadership with the will to take on the gangs.”