Calls for Urgent Shift to Decentralised Policing Powers

Statement by Ian Cameron MP – DA Deputy Spokesperon on Police:

The Democratic Alliance (DA) welcomes the decisive step taken by the South African Police Service (SAPS) in the Western Cape to recruit 62 veteran detectives to tackle cold cases and gun violence across the province. This initiative demonstrates what is possible when experience, competence and urgency are prioritised in the fight against crime.

The return of seasoned detectives, many of whom were instrumental in securing convictions in complex, high-profile matters, is a practical intervention aimed at clearing backlogs, strengthening investigations, and ensuring that perpetrators of serious violent crimes face justice. In a province where communities continue to suffer under the scourge of gang-related shootings and extortion, this reinforcement of investigative capacity is both necessary and commendable.

However, this development must also be viewed against the broader crisis facing policing in South Africa.

SAPS nationally is grappling with:

• Severe detective shortages and overwhelming case backlogs.
• Declining conviction rates linked to poor investigative quality.
• Under-resourcing at station level.
• The continued escalation of illegal firearms feeding gang violence.

The fact that 62 retired detectives had to be brought back into service speaks to a deeper structural problem. Years of mismanagement, poor recruitment planning, and inadequate training pipelines have hollowed out critical investigative capacity.

In the Western Cape, particularly in areas such as Nyanga and Mfuleni, which remain among the country’s murder hotspots, the burden of violent crime is disproportionately high. While the province has taken proactive steps to support safety through provincial law enforcement and LEAP officers, the constitutional mandate for policing remains centralised under national control.

This development once again highlights the urgent need to expand policing powers to capable provincial and metropolitan governments. Where local administrations have demonstrated the capacity, resources and political will to improve safety, they should not be constrained by a rigid, centralised policing model.

The Western Cape Government and the City of Cape Town have already invested significant resources into public safety through initiatives such as LEAP officers, advanced surveillance technology and targeted law enforcement deployments. Yet these interventions remain limited because key policing functions, including investigations, forensic capacity and intelligence capabilities, remain exclusively controlled by national SAPS structures.

Expanding police powers to capable provinces and metros would allow these governments to directly strengthen investigative capacity, deploy specialised units against organised crime, and integrate local law enforcement with intelligence-led policing strategies. In provinces where gang violence and organised criminal networks are deeply entrenched, this additional capacity could make a measurable difference.

The DA reiterates our long-standing position that policing powers must be expanded to provinces that have demonstrated capacity, accountability and political will. A one-size-fits-all national policing model has failed communities across the country. Where provinces have the resources, governance track record and oversight mechanisms to manage policing effectively, they should be empowered to do so.

The Western Cape’s ability to mobilise experienced detectives quickly, identify investigative backlogs and implement targeted interventions stands in stark contrast to stagnation elsewhere. This is precisely the kind of responsiveness that a more decentralised policing model could unlock across the country.

The DA will continue to advocate for constitutional reform to enable the expansion of policing powers to capable metro’s and provinces, while holding national government accountable for fixing SAPS at a structural level.

South Africans deserve a professional, well-resourced and competent police service and where provinces can deliver that more effectively, they must be empowered to do so.