Cele cautions against politicising crime fighting in the Western Cape

CAPE TOWN - The Minister of Police Bheki Cele says crime is being used to achieve a political agenda in the Western Cape.

He was speaking at a community imbizo in Nyanga township on Wednesday.

This after the residents raised concerns about a lack of visibility of law enforcement and metro police officials in Nyanga.

Cele said the Western Cape gets more policing resources than all other provinces in South Africa but pointed out that poor communities in the province were neither prioritised nor protected as in suburban areas.

He said political issues should not impact crime fighting.

"If there are issues that we think as a certain level of government are done, we should not do those things at the expense of abandoning the fight against crime, especially in this province, especially in Cape Flats, especially in the precinct where we are. If any other politics please let talk them outside of crime."

Cele added it has also emerged that divisions were also being planted in community-fighting structures. 

"Structures like CPF, structures like Neighbourhood Watch, structures like Communities in Blue. There's information in this province to say especially neighbourhood watches are politicised, there are those that are given money, there are those that are not given money."