No gang units, says Nhleko

The Western Cape government has slammed the police minister’s apparent U-turn in bringing back specialised crime units.

Cape Town - Police Minister Nathi Nhleko has raised the ire of the DA-led Western Cape government over his apparent U-turn in bringing back specialised crime units.

Nhleko made a public commitment in March to bring back specialised units, but in a written response to a parliamentary question by the FF+ - whether he is planning to establish new specialist units in the police or not - Nhleko seemingly backtracked on his earlier commitment.

“There is no intention in the Annual Performance Plan 2015/2016 to reintroduce any additional specialised units.

“Existing units are continuously being capacitated to enhance their capability to render an effective and efficient service,” the minister wrote.

MEC of Community Safety Dan Plato, who has led the charge for the return of gang units since 2011, criticised Nhleko, saying his parliamentary response shows that the police are even further away from reinstating the much-needed units.

Plato said Nhleko’s response is contrary to the promises made in May during his budget speech when he stated that “in the coming financial year, we will also be placing a stronger emphasis on the need to review specialised units that are dedicated to fighting specific forms of crime and specialised investigations”.

This, he added, was preceded by another commitment Nhleko made in March when he said: “It is time for us to consider bringing back specialised units like the drug unit and others to respond to the sophisticated nature of crime that we now have to deal with.”

Plato said he has officially requested that Premier Helen Zille table the matter of reintroducing the specialised units at the President’s Co-ordinating Council (PCC).

“What appears to be a backtrack on the commitment, is a devastating disservice to the people of the Western Cape.

“While Minister Nhleko seems to be delaying on a commitment, people are dying in the communities in the Western Cape with gangsterism and drugs running rampant without intervention,” Plato added.

He said Nhleko is either misleading Parliament in his response or misleading the people of South Africa and especially the Western Cape which remains confronted with the scourge of gangsterism and drugs on a daily basis.

DA Western Cape spokeswoman on community safety, Mireille Wenger, said the minister’s response indicated the police have no intention of re-establishing these much-needed units in the coming year.

Wenger said she will be requesting a report from the minister on whether he will establish specialised units and timelines in this regard.

Wenger said the decision by then police commissioner, Jackie Selebi to disband specialised units for drugs substantially weakened the police’s ability to fight organised crime.

“For almost a decade now, civil society, the DA and the Western Cape government have been appealing for the re-establishment of these units.

“The reply to Parliament today shows that the police minister has not put words into action and in fact there is simply no intention of re-establishing specialised units in the coming year,” she said.

warda.meyer@inl.co.za

Cape Argus