Please find attached a soundbite by Andrew Whitfield MP.
Following the shocking judgment by Judge Daniel Thulare, revealing the links between gangsters and the police in the Western Cape, the DA reinforces its call for the devolution of police powers in the province.
The disturbing evidence of 28s gang members infiltrating SAPS management in the province points to the police service in the Western Cape being wholly incapable of managing its own functions under the control of national government.
Gang members being able to infiltrate the management level of the police kills off any chance of the police effectively fighting the war on gangsterims in this province that is ravaging communities.
The DA fully supports the request by the Western Cape Premier Alan Winde to the police ombudsman to invetigate these alleged links. The DA agrees that if there is enough evidence, a Commission of Inquiry needs to be established to probe the serious allegations.
I have written to the Executive Director of the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) to request that she initiates an urgent investigation into this serious matter.
Communities across the Western Cape are under constant attack from gangsters and in many of these areas a state of lawlessnes has taken over the streets. Whereas before the DA has maintained that the biggest reason for ongoing gang violence is the under-resourcing and under-capacitating of SAPS, it now seems that SAPS may be playing an active role in destabilising communities through gang violence.
The DA will do everything in its power to assist and support the Western Cape government in its effort to eradicate this evil.