North West Portfolio Committee Engages Gauteng Legislature on Crime-Fighting Strategies

As part of its benchmarking exercise, the North West Provincial Legislature’s Portfolio Committee on Community Safety and Transport Management today met with its counterpart in the Gauteng Legislature. This knowledge exchange programme aims to explore alternative approaches to crime reduction, community safety management, and effective oversight models used in other provinces.

Welcoming the North West delegation, Chairperson of the Gauteng Community Safety Portfolio Committee, Dr. Bandile Masuku, highlighted the sensitive nature of crime-fighting efforts and emphasized the importance of sharing best practices between provinces. He noted that Gauteng has adopted a structured Oversight Model and that during tomorrow’s full-day benchmarking exercise, Prof. Kholofelo Rakubu from Tshwane University of Technology will deliver an independent presentation on the effectiveness of the Gauteng Safety Wardens programme, providing insight into its successes, challenges, and shortcomings.

Hon. Freddy Sonakile, Chairperson of the North West Portfolio Committee, expressed appreciation for the opportunity to benchmark with Gauteng. He emphasized that this initiative aligns with the Committee’s 2024/25 Operational Plan, which also includes Mpumalanga and the Western Cape, provinces with notable crime-fighting initiatives.
“Gauteng’s approach to crime-fighting is intriguing, despite its challenges. Just last week, we noted Chair Masuku’s call for the rotation of Station Commanders and the introduction of body and car cameras—proposals that will make for insightful discussions during this exchange,” said Hon. Sonakile.

Today’s meeting served as a preliminary briefing ahead of tomorrow’s full-day knowledge exchange programme, which will include site visits. Both Committees have also extended invitations to their respective Community Safety Departments, ensuring the participation of policy implementers in these crucial discussions.