GOOD Statement by Keagen Gertse,
GOOD Drakenstein Councillor & Caucus Whip
31 July 2023
The GOOD Party in Drakenstein welcomes the appointment of Mr PR Esau as the Executive Director for Public Safety in the Municipality.
The decision to reposition Public Safety as an independent directorate comes as a relief to the residents of Drakenstein.
GOOD has long been concerned about the state of the current municipal law enforcement body, its operations and its inability to combat crime and enforce
by-laws.
We believe the restructuring will better protect our communities and serve residents within the municipality.
Crime in the Western Cape, and more specifically Drakenstein, has been on a steady rise.
Since the Covid-19 pandemic, we have seen a sharp spike in lawlessness, crippling any form of progress made in the fight against crime.
Local gangs in Wellington and surrounding areas have been the biggest contributing factor to public unrest and often cause damage to public and private properties, loss of life and livelihoods.
Gangsters have grown so bold that they have been known to bring schools to a standstill, terrorising teachers and pupils alike.
They do so with no resistance from the local police service.
SAPS has been numb to the pleas of the people and often states that it will only show face when someone is killed.
This clear lack of interest in exercising their mandate reverberates with SAPS’ uninspiring approach to crime throughout the province and the country at large.
Esau’s appointment thus heralds a commitment from the municipality that it stands to protect the innocent and that it will seek solutions, from the people, to address the poor state of safety within communities.
Ending crime does not solely rest at the feet of one institution or a particular individual; this will be impossible to achieve.
It is a collective effort between various entities in the public and private sectors and requires a community-wide approach.
We urge Mr Esau to consider communities as stakeholders in the Municipality’s crime-fighting machinery.
Ending crime requires an overarching approach with other departments such as social development, a directorate within the municipality’s jurisdiction.
We implore Mr Esau not to take a page from the book of JP Smith, the City of Cape Town’s Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security.
Smith acts as the political sheriff for the city, he believes simply locking people away will make the problem disappear.
GOOD hopes the people of Drakenstein will be the biggest winners when this department comes into full operation.
It should be a department in which the people have an equal share in shaping.
Media Enquiries:
Keagen Gertse, GOOD Drakenstein Councillor & Caucus Whip
Cell: 081 063 7749
Email: keagengertse@gmail.com
Samantha Jackson, GOOD Acting Media Manager
Cell: 083 550 9875
Email: media@forgood.org.za