We are encouraged to note that the Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport (DCAS) is set to expand its crime prevention efforts through, amongst others, additional after-school programmes and growth of its Youth-In-Service programme to support vulnerable, at-risk youth. Premier Winde has detailed these various measures which the Provincial Government continues to implement in line with the Western Cape Safety Plan.
From DCAS, with its special emphasis on crime prevention, these efforts include:
- Expanding the Youth-In-Service programme and offering 1 000 youths a first-time job this year. This is up from 500 in 2020. Crime often stems from a lack of opportunity and employment. This programme, which aims to reach 3 000 youths next year, provides work opportunities for 18-24-year-olds to work for Provincial Government and offer services in their community.
- DCAS has also pledged to increase the number of schools participating in after-school programmes, from 246 to over 400. The after-school programmes span the length and breadth of the province and, vitally, they offer a safe space for some of our youngest residents to learn and play.
These interventions target youth who are at risk of falling into patterns of gangsterism, theft and other crimes, with an aim to change the course of their lives for the better. They not only reduce anti-social behaviours among young people, but they also upskill them, and in many instances, offer employment opportunities upon completion of certain programmes.
Meanwhile at a national level, though SAPS remains the lead safety agency, it is well documented that SAPS has not met resourcing targets in the Western Cape. Since 2018, policing numbers have shrunk by 511 SAPS members, while the provincial population increased. Our National Government has also announced to reduce SAPS’s spending by R2.5 billion for 2023/2024. Police are already understaffed, especially in vulnerable crime hotspots, and so while crime remains pervasive, Minister Cele pinches pennies.
This is why the Western Cape Government has stepped in by uplifting the vulnerable through community programmes that make a difference. In this way, the Safety Plan gives effect to the Community Safety Act, which the Western Cape diligently passed, with no equivalent legislation found in other provinces. This government is prepared, intentional, and exercises foresight when making such decisions.
To provide a safe, equal-opportunity society, the DA targets the roots of crime through a cooperative approach amongst government departments. The work done by DCAS provides a lifeline and prospects to may youths who may not have otherwise seen a way out of harsh circumstances.