Police Minister Senzo Mchunu said on Friday the signing of the Cooperation Agreement to Combat Crime is a testament to the shared commitment between his department and the Western Cape government to fight crime, further announcing that the South African Police Service (Saps) has begun discussions with departments in the justice system to strengthen relations.

The Cooperation Agreement to Combat Crime led by Mchunu, is in partnership with Western Cape Premier Alan Winde and City of Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis.

Earlier on Friday, Mchunu released the crime statistics for the last quarter of the previous financial year and the first quarter of the current financial year, with the Western Cape province recording the highest increase in murder cases, putting the ratio of murders committed per capita in the province - that is, ratio per 100 000 of the population - at 15.3%.

Mchunu noted that this was a concern but he was confident that Saps was up to the task of overcoming it.

He highlighted that the new collaboration was grounded on several key objectives.

“Together, we will create a shared safer city and consequently, a safer South Africa vision, one that unites us in purpose and action. We will develop robust programmes and infrastructure to support crime prevention and law enforcement, enhancing the economic performance of our communities and ensuring that safety and prosperity go hand in hand,” he said.

He highlighted that the efforts were not only guided by a shared vision but also by the constitutional framework that governed policing in the country.

“We recognise that effective governance is essential for achieving these goals. Therefore, we will work diligently to ensure a conducive governance platform, one that supports transparency, accountability and responsiveness in all our actions,” he added.

Mchunu said the partnership would focus on building internal capacity, ensuring that the Saps, the provincial government through the Department of Police Oversight and Community Safety, the Metro Police and the City Law Enforcement Officers assisted by the Community Policing Forums (CPFs), and Neighbourhood Watches, cooperate in action, coordinate efforts, collaborate in practice, all within a framework of shared resources.

He wanted the partnership to leverage technology and data to enhance its crime-fighting efforts, by aligning its strategies and coordinating the implementation of its initiatives, saying this would maximise impact and ensure that actions were efficient and effective.

He expressed confidence in the Saps and other law enforcement agencies in the Western Cape and in the City of Cape Town.

Meanwhile, he said the Saps had already started discussing how it would strengthen coordination with the justice system and other relevant departments.

“From now onwards the criminals must know we have signed a joint effort against them, and they must understand what this is going to mean,” he stated.

Meanwhile, President Cyril Ramaphosa, in attendance at the signing, pointed out that the collaboration formed part of efforts to improve policing and community safety for all Cape Town residents, noting that the partnership pledged to make the best use of resources by the Saps, the provincial government and the City of Cape Town.

“We are committing to work more closely with community-based organisations and civil society structures in the fight against crime. Community-based organisations are working to make our communities safer, supporting survivors of crime, and providing invaluable services to our people,” he said.

Ramaphosa highlighted that under the new cooperation agreement, technology and resources, as well as information and best practice to improve the state of public policing would be shared.

He said the exchange of information on crime activity and suspects would make the province safer, while the exchange of information on new crime trends would ensure that the Saps were "one step ahead of criminals”.

“Greater collaboration will make it easier to trace suspects and wanted persons who are evading arrest and prosecution. By drawing on each other’s expertise, we will be able to do much more than if we were each working alone,” he highlighted.

OPERATION SHANELA

He pointed out that last year government launched Operation Shanela, which brought together various law enforcement agencies to deal effectively with crime, noting that since March 2023 more than 820 000 suspects had been arrested for various offences, including murder, rape and kidnapping.

He explained that Operation Shanela was making its mark in the Western Cape, clamping down on illicit firearms.

He highlighted that during police operations in the province over a 12-month period more than 3 000 firearms were confiscated.

He added that the work of specialist task teams had resulted in more than 250 arrests for the spate of kidnappings that were on the rise across the country.