When President Cyril Ramaphosa launched the Anti-Gang Unit on the Cape Flats, it was according to a strategy, and the unit was embodied in that strategy, National Police Commissioner Khehla Sitole said.
Sitole was answering questions by Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Police on Tuesday about the Anti-Gang Unit’s capability, as well as progress on lifestyle audits and the vetting of police officials.
“If we go to the deliverable description of the strategy it is clear. As part of the implementation of the strategy it must unfold to formal gang units,” Sitole said.
The unit was still in task team formation, he said.
“From the strategy point of view the president is not misleading to pronounce on the gang units.”
He added that the process of formalising the gang unit was continuing, as well as spreading them to other provinces.
“We are bringing the concept of gang units because we want to respond as a country to gang problems that are facing our people,” Sitole said.
“We should not judge the unit by the point of departure; instead, people should judge it by the destination.”
The briefing was one of four that the portfolio committee was given. Another was delivered by Major-General Leon Rabie.
Rabie said that the anti-gangsterism strategy implementation plan aimed at addressing all gang-related activities in the country. He said that the plan was to ensure that all people were safe, and felt safe.
Rabie said the plan would focus on human development – a schools safety approach, proactive collaboration efforts in gang-affected areas and social partnerships to ensure the implementation of strategies and programmes related to anti-gangsterism.
“Some of the strategies include environmental design, criminal justice processes and the establishment of a joint priority committee on gangsterism,” Rabie said.
He tabled the unit’s successes in Western Cape, Eastern Cape and Gauteng. Western Cape have 33 cases pending regarding murders and attempted murders, and 36 arrested suspects.
Eastern Cape has nine cases pending and 10 arrested suspects. Gauteng has 19 cases pending and 34 arrested suspects.
The committee welcomed the progress and chairperson Francois Beukman said he was delighted that the committee members were unified and supported the specialised units. Beukman said it was important that administrative processes be followed by the police management on the establishment of the unit.
“A police service with integrity is necessary if the service is to regain the confidence of citizens and investors in the ability to deal with crime,” Beukman said.
The meeting comes after the SA Policing Union applied for an urgent interdict to stop the police from further rolling out the anti-gang unit because it was in breach of a labour agreement with the union.