Premier Winde’s remarks on women-led walkabout with SAPS, LEAP and neighbourhood watch
Today, I had the privilege of joining a women-led walkabout with members of SAPS, the local neighbourhood watches and Law Enforcement Advancement Plan (LEAP) law enforcement officers along Delft Main Road in Cape Town.
The walkabout further signaled the deployment of an additional 191 LEAP officers to communities including Kraaifontein, Mfuleni and Harare.
I was joined by Mayoral Committee Member, Alderman JP Smith, and Kraaifontein Station Commander, Brigadier van Niekerk.
I had the opportunity to thank and recognise the many women playing their part in making our most vulnerable communities safer and I also had the opportunity to engage with members of the Delft community on the ground.
Women are playing a leading role in safeguarding communities most affected by crime across our province and country. From our neighborhood watch patrols to women in uniform, these remarkable women are leading from the front in building a safer South Africa.
I thank you, our brave women in safety, for your important role and I call on our communities to back you too so that we all play our part in protecting our homes and loved ones.
This latest deployment of LEAP officers forms part of the Western Cape Safety Plan’s aim to promote safety in the province and halve the murder rate over the next 10 years through a combination of violence prevention programmes and the deployment of additional LEAP officers.
Going forward, an additional 106 LEAP officers will be activated once they complete their firearm competency training by the end of September 2021.
I also want to recognise the partnership between SAPS in the Western Cape, the City of Cape Town and the Western Cape Government. Through our collective efforts, we have deployed significant additional law enforcement resources to our communities and made residents feel safer.
We have a long way to go, but by working together in this way I know that we can achieve our objective of delivering a safer, more prosperous Western Cape, for all.
Source: Government of South Africa