Please find attached soundbites in English and Afrikaans by Lisa Schickerling MP
The Democratic Alliance (DA) backs the launch of the City of Cape Town’s bold new crime fighting unit to respond rapidly to serious and high-risk crime.
The specialised SWAT Unit will provide a highly trained and equipped rapid-response capability for violent and high-risk incidents. This includes incidents such as gang-related violence, extortion and mass shootings, where a rapid and specialised response can be critical.
The Unit is equipped with specialised technology and equipment designed to improve officers’ ability to respond safely and effectively to high-risk incidents, including:
– Armoured SWAT vehicle providing enhanced protection and mobility during high-risk operations.
– Night-vision technology allowing officers to operate more effectively in low-light and night-time conditions.
– Heat-detection technology enabling officers to identify people and activity that may be concealed from normal view.
– Modern firearms and specialised equipment suited to high-risk tactical operations and providing officers with the tools needed to respond to serious and violent crime.
This is exactly the kind of practical investment in community safety that the DA’s 2026 Local Government Manifesto commits to, including bringing policing closer to communities, expanding municipal safety capacity, strengthening partnerships with SAPS and using technology to fight crime.
The DA’s position is clear: where a municipality has the capacity, resources, training and systems to contribute meaningfully to community safety, it should be empowered to do so, with proper standards and oversight.
The DA-led City of Cape Town is demonstrating what this approach can look like in practice. Through investment in specialised policing capacity, technology and partnerships, the City is increasing its ability to respond to serious incidents and support communities when conventional policing resources are stretched.
At the same time, the DA continues to call for greater powers for capable municipalities to investigate crime and strengthen the full chain from detection and investigation through to prosecution and conviction.
The fight against crime cannot be left to one sphere of government. Where we govern, we will continue using the powers and resources available to us to make communities safer, while pushing for the additional powers necessary to deliver effective policing closer to residents.