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The GOOD Party is shocked to hear that the City of Cape Town plans to dramatically increase the safety and security directorate’s budget. In a Facebook post, the Cape Town MMC for Safety and Security, JP Smith said the Mayor would be tabling a draft budget that included “the largest investment into the safety and security directorate since the establishment of LEAP [the Law Enforcement Advancement Plan].”

For years, the City’s politicians have used the likes of ShotSpotter, drones and LEAP officers to paint a picture that technology and boots on the ground are bringing about peace in gang-riddled areas. But what has become abundantly clear is that these expensive innovations have had very little impact on the City’s crime statistics.

In the most recent Crime Stats (Oct 2024 – Dec 2024), Cape Town is home to the Top Station for Murder (Mfuleni), the Top Station for Contact Crime (Mfuleni), the Top Station for Serious Crime (Cape Town Central). Additionally, the Western Cape has the most gang-related murders, 263 in this quarter alone. 

These numbers are not a new trend but rather a repeat of the ongoing rise in crime.

Despite these dire statistics, the City is doubling down on ineffective, militarized policing, complete with our very own S.W.A.T. team, also announced by Smith.

Yes, we need efficient law enforcement, but we also need to address the root cause of crime.

You cannot police your way out of deep-rooted issues like poverty, unemployment, and gang violence. Without investment in social infrastructure, crime will continue to rise, no matter how much is spent on law enforcement.

As we wait for the Mayor to table the Draft Budget 2025/26 next week, we can only hope Geordin Hill-Lewis finds a balance and equally funds transformative infrastructure and social upliftment projects to bring real change within our communities. As GOOD we look forward to engaging the City on its Budget Proposal.

Issued by Jonathan Cupido, GOOD: City of Cape Town Councillor