Hill-Lewis unveils R6.7bn safety & security budget for Cape Town, deployment of 500 extra law enforcement officers

CAPE TOWN - Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis said he expects the extra 500 new law enforcement officers to intricately get to know the areas where they will be deployed to clamp down on violent crime in the city.

Hill-Lewis said this deployment would be bringing to 1,000 the number of officers recruited since the start of this administration.

Tabling a more than R39 billion budget for 2025/26 on Thursday, Hill-Lewis said the city would also be insourcing security services as it looked to break the extortion cycle and make service delivery safer for its staff.

For years, the Democratic Alliance (DA) has been fighting a losing battle to devolve policing to the province.

Now the city is bolstering its own ranks to ensure officers are deployed in every ward and get to grips with the type of crime plaguing that particular area.

"Our total safety and security budget is now a massive R6.7 billion for the coming year. This really demonstrates our commitment to help the SAPS to fight crime and do all that we can to make Cape Town a safer city."

The city will also be beefing up its armed security escort services for council staff to 220 members. 

"We hope this will put a stop to the attacks on our frontline service staff so that we can better serve the public, especially in informal settlements."

The mayor said its new metro officers would be well-trained to build case dockets to assist the SAPS in removing criminals from the city’s streets.