DELFT, CAPE TOWN — Democratic Alliance (DA) candidate for Cape Town mayor, Geordin Hill-Lewis, has launched a bold campaign pledge in Delft to establish the country’s first-ever Metro Police Detective Branch. Speaking directly to residents in this Cape Flats community heavily impacted by violent crime and gangsterism, Hill-Lewis emphasized that empowering the city to independently investigate crimes is the most critical step toward securing lasting safety.
Marching through the streets alongside fellow DA leaders and party supporters, the mayoral candidate highlighted a systemic flaw in current law enforcement operations. According to Hill-Lewis, existing Metro Police units are largely limited to patrolling and making arrests before handing suspects over to the South African Police Service (SAPS). Too often, he noted, these cases subsequently fall apart in the judicial process, allowing criminals to return to the streets.
To break this cycle, the DA plans to forge ahead with creating a specialized detective unit within the metro police force, should they secure the mandate to govern in the upcoming local government elections. Hill-Lewis pointed out that despite productive consultations with three different police ministers over the years regarding the devolution of criminal investigation powers to the City of Cape Town, recent legislative efforts have fallen short. He noted that a police amendment act currently before parliament contains no provisions reflecting those previous discussions.
Undeterred, the DA is pushing forward with its commitment to local-level criminal investigations. Hill-Lewis issued a direct challenge to any political opponents attempting to block the initiative, urging them to explain their opposition directly to the residents of Delft. He emphasized that the community suffers daily at the hands of gangsters, with countless cases left uninvestigated and falling by the wayside while perpetrators remain free.
By establishing a dedicated Metro Police Detective Branch, the DA aims to ensure that arrests lead to successful prosecutions, keeping dangerous offenders behind bars and delivering tangible justice to Cape Town’s most vulnerable neighborhoods.
