Dear Editor
The Democratic Alliance (DA) is deeply worried by a series of violent shootings that have unfolded across South Africa in recent days, leaving communities reeling in fear and mourning. The DA sends sympathies and care to the affected communities.
The trend we are seeing is increasing gun crime, and little to no action from the Police. This cannot go on.
In separate incidents, mass shootings occurred in Phillipi in the Western Cape and Westbury in Gauteng, while several other shootings have occurred.
The DA now calls on Acting Minister of Police, Firoz Cachalia, to urgently address this increasing crisis, and take meaningful steps to restore order and operational stability within SAPS.
These tragedies come amid escalating instability within the South African Police Service (SAPS), instability that is now costing lives.
While innocent South Africans are being gunned down in their homes and on their streets, the leadership of the SAPS remains consumed by internal battles, political interference, and leadership paralysis.
The chaos in the command structure, the confusion over authority, and the collapse of crime intelligence have all left our police service rudderless and ineffective.
South Africans deserve answers to these questions:
- What emergency measures are being implemented to stabilise SAPS leadership and end the infighting that is crippling the service?
- What concrete plans are in place to protect communities in high-risk areas like Westbury, Gugulethu, and the Cape Flats?
- How will the Minister ensure accountability in SAPS management and command structures, given the ongoing leadership disputes?
South Africans cannot continue to live under siege while ministers “figure out a plan.”
Every day of inaction costs more lives.
The DA has repeatedly called for urgent reform of SAPS, including depoliticising police leadership, expanding policing powers to capable local and provincial governments, and strengthening crime intelligence and detective services.
The DA has also set a deadline for the Ministers of Justice, Correctional Services, Police, and State Security to account for their departments’ joint failures in curbing the rise of impunity and present a combined plan to save the South African criminal justice system.
Until these ANC Ministers confront the systemic failures at the top of SAPS, the violence will continue to spiral.
South Africa needs a police service that works for the people, not one paralysed by chaos at the top.
Regards
Lisa Schickerling MP
DA Spokesperson on Police