In a significant show of intergovernmental cooperation, the Minister of Police, Professor Firoz Cachalia, convened a high-level meeting with Western Cape Premier Alan Winde on Friday, joined by the Mayor of Cape Town, the MEC for Police Oversight and Community Safety, and the City’s MMC for Safety and Security.
The meeting focused on the persistent challenges of crime and public safety in the province, and explored strategies to strengthen collaboration across national, provincial, and local government structures.
Central to the discussions was the reaffirmation of the Cooperation Agreement signed in September last year by the South African Police Service (SAPS), the Civilian Secretariat for Police Service, the Western Cape Government, and the City of Cape Town. The agreement sets out a framework for joint action to enhance safety and security across communities in the province.
Professor Cachalia emphasised the importance of turning the agreement into tangible outcomes: “The agreement will now be thoroughly unpacked and reviewed to ensure that it delivers practical, implementable measures that enhance safety outcomes for residents. We are committed to identifying and exploiting every possible avenue for improved collaboration and integration across all levels of government. The fight against crime is a national imperative that requires a whole-of-government approach. No single sphere of government can succeed alone. National, provincial, and local governments must work together, drawing on their respective mandates, resources, and capacities. We must continue to build trust with communities by delivering results through coordinated action, accountability, and a shared commitment to making South Africa safer for all.”
Premier Winde welcomed the engagement and reiterated the province’s commitment to cooperative governance: “We welcome Minister Cachalia’s willingness to engage with us in the interest of our residents. This is a crucial step in fostering closer partnerships in addressing the pressing issue of violent and organised crime in our communities. I am keenly aware of the urgent need for greater collaboration and cooperation to deal with crime decisively. I look forward to growing this partnership going forward, in the spirit of cooperative governance. We must act definitively and urgently against this scourge that continues to rob too many of our residents of their right to security and dignity.”
The meeting marks a renewed commitment to unified action against crime, with all spheres of government pledging to work together more closely to deliver safer communities across the Western Cape.
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