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The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Western Cape welcomes efforts to address allegations of corruption within the provincial South African Police Service (SAPS). The steps taken by this provincial government to ensure integrity within SAPS are a matter of public record.

The refusal by SAPS to accept funding for the implementation of lifestyle audits is, to put it mildly, deeply concerning. Despite three years of documented correspondence, follow-ups, and formal requests from the Western Cape Government, SAPS has shown no urgency or willingness to cooperate with these basic integrity checks. When the integrity of the very service tasked with protecting our citizens and upholding the law is in question, no effort should be spared to investigate and uncover the truth.

The DA fully supports the Western Cape Government’s persistent efforts to compel IPID and SAPS to act with integrity and urgency. We welcome this government’s engagement with the Portfolio Committee on Police to ensure accountability and to expose unacceptable delays in IPID’s investigations.

The people of the Western Cape deserve far better than the current state of SAPS. They deserve safe streets and communities where they can live happy, fulfilling lives free from fear. They deserve a police service they can trust - not one clouded by allegations of criminal conduct. If there is criminality within SAPS, it must be rooted out, no matter the cost.

While SAPS has been disappointing in their approach to crime, the Western Cape Government has stepped up its efforts to bridge the gap. Since the launch of the LEAP (Law Enforcement Advancement Plan) programme in 2020, more than 40 000 arrests have been made, and 739 illegal firearms have been removed from our streets. These results demonstrate what is possible when provincial and municipal government structures have both the will and the capacity to lead crime-fighting efforts.

In the 2024/25 financial year, four district municipalities each received R1 million, with the Central Karoo District Municipality receiving R581 000, to implement fast, coordinated responses to social unrest through local safety plans. The province also supported K9 Units in Swartland, Overstrand, and Mossel Bay with more than R12 million in total funding - clear evidence of how decentralised safety initiatives can be both efficient and effective.

Benedicta van Minnen MPP, DA Western Cape Spokesperson on Police Oversight and Community Safety said: “It is time for SAPS and national government to take action to ensure that they run a clean operation in the Western Cape. The integrity of the entire safety ecosystem is at risk of collapse if our residents cannot trust the police.”

“If we truly want to stop the bloodshed on our streets, we need a SAPS that is resourced, responsive, free from links to the underworld.”

Issued by Benedicta van Minnen, MPP - DA Western Cape Spokesperson on Police Oversight and Community Safety