DA blasted over ‘militarisation’ approach to crime fighting on Cape Flats

Opposition parties sharply criticised the DA-led City of Cape Town’s crime-fighting strategy during an IOL election debate, questioning officer deployment and the controversial SWAT unit. Deputy Mayor Eddie Andrews defended the city’s record, saying its law enforcement officers cannot conduct criminal investigations and must hand suspects over to the South African Police Service (SAPS). He cited a reduction of more than 13,000 SAPS officers deployed over five years and said the city had maintained a force of just over 1,300 officers. National Coloured Congress leader Fadiel Adams challenged how officers were allocated, saying 16 were deployed in white areas compared with only four in Coloured areas.