With Khayelitsha emerging as a top contributor to the province’s rampant crime statistics, the South African Police Service (SAPS) on Tuesday handed over nine new vehicles to the Western Cape Community Policing Board (CPF) in Makhaza.
National Minister of Police General Bheki Cele led the handing over of the vehicles, which will be used by the CPF structures to execute their mandate of assisting the police to prevent and combat crime.
General Cele said this year the SAPS has allocated R70 million to resource and capacitate these structures that exist to ensure good working relations between communities and the police. He added that with the vehicles, CPF members are expected to work alongside police in creating safer communities.
“These cars are for the CPFs. Those buses are for the patrollers. Do not use them as taxis. What makes us happy is that the budget for the CPFs was made for the first time this year. We had R70 million but the Western Cape received R12 million,” he said after handing out the keys.
Minister Cele was in Khayelitsha in an effort to increase the footprint of the SAPS and bring policing services closer to communities, and to conduct a monitoring and evaluation visit to the Makhaza police station.
The police station has been under construction since August last year and is due to be completed in 18 to 24 months.
“I will be more happy when we hand out the facility. For now these are prefabs but a half loaf is better than nothing at all. The brick and mortar structure will be ready in 2026,” he assured residents.
Chairperson of the Western Cape CPF Board Fransina Lukas said she was elated to finally have vehicles that will assist them in their quest to fight crime.
“Today is an emotional day. We have been crying, crying for resources. But today we are receiving them. People should know that we are volunteers. We do this for our communities. What we want to see is safer communities,” she said.
She used the platform to call on the government to give CPFs a stipend and call for the police to treat CPFs with respect.
“The reality is that we are now living in times when children need food. We at least have to put something on the table. We also call on the police to treat us with the decency we deserve. We know we are not police. We are doing this for the good of our community,” she concluded.
Harare CPF chairperson Funeka Soldaat, said she was grateful for the partnership with the police as the province was plagued by violent crime.
She said it would be good to have the police station officially up and running.
Ward 98 councillor Lucky Mbiza said he was happy to see such progress in the police station.
He also called on those who will be using the vehicles to use them for their intended purpose.
“We do not want to see them taking girlfriends or stationed at the girlfriend’s houses. We have a challenge of police vehicles which are parked at their lovers’ places. It should not happen with the CPF vehicles,” he said.
He also called for the brick and mortar police station to be built quickly.
General Cele was accompanied by police top brass and Reagan Allen, MEC for community safety and police oversight in the province.
