A Province Under Siege: Mounting Calls for New Police Leadership in the Western Cape

As gang-related shootings and murders continue to grip communities across the Western Cape, a chorus of expert voices is demanding a radical change at the very top of the province’s police service. The pressure is mounting on Provincial Police Commissioner Thembisile Patekile, with critics blaming his leadership for a lack of a clear, effective strategy to combat the relentless crime wave.

The calls for his removal highlight a deep-seated crisis in policing, where political interference and poor strategy are allegedly making the situation worse, not better.

“Decisive Leadership Changes Are Essential”

Independent crime researcher Calvin Rafadi is unequivocal in his assessment: Patekile must be replaced. “Decisive leadership changes are essential if violent crime persists,” Rafadi warned. He argues that the current approach is failing to dismantle the criminal networks that terrorize neighbourhoods.

His recommendations go beyond a simple personnel change. He has called for:

• Deploying the SANDF: To act as a immediate “force multiplier” for the under-resourced police.

• Declaring a State of Emergency: In crime hotspots to fast-track military support.

• Disrupting Gang Finances: Strengthening the Asset Forfeiture Unit to seize the assets of gang leaders and cut off their funding.

A Retired Brigadier’s Damning Verdict

Adding immense weight to the criticism is retired Brigadier Cass Goolam, who spent over 40 years in the police and once led the Mitchells Plain station. His critique is a damning indictment of the provincial management’s tactics.

“Whatever decisions provincial management has made… have had the opposite impact. They have contributed to making the Cape Flats conducive to gangs,” Goolam stated.

He pointed to a leadership vacuum, the dismantling of proven operational teams, and the appointment of senior officers without a solid track record. The result, he says, is a demoralized police force lacking support from command and exposed to extreme violence daily.

A New Plan Amidst the Turmoil

Despite these local calls for a leadership overhaul, the national government is pushing forward with its own strategy. Acting National Minister of Police Firoz Cachalia has confirmed the rollout of a new national Anti-Gang Plan, initially focused on hotspots on the Cape Flats.

For communities living in fear, the debate boils down to a simple question: can a new national plan succeed without the strong, trusted, and locally-aware leadership they are demanding? As the body count rises, the plea from the ground is clear: the province needs a new police chief who can restore both operational effectiveness and community trust. The current strategy, they argue, is costing lives.

{Source: IOL} 

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