DELFT, CAPE TOWN — During a targeted campaign stop in Delft, Democratic Alliance (DA) candidate for Cape Town mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis unveiled a flagship policy to establish the country’s first-ever Metro Police Detective Branch. This strategic pledge is designed to directly combat the severe gangsterism and violent crime endemic to the Cape Flats by granting the municipality its own criminal investigation capabilities ahead of the local government elections.
Flanked by party supporters and fellow DA leadership, the mayoral hopeful walked the streets of this Cape Flats neighborhood, identifying a critical gap in the current justice pipeline. Hill-Lewis described the creation of this specialized unit as the party’s most vital commitment to public safety. He explained that under the status quo, municipal law enforcement is restricted to visible policing and making initial arrests. Once suspects are transferred to the South African Police Service (SAPS), cases frequently collapse due to a lack of continuous follow-up, resulting in offenders being released back into the community.
To break this cycle, the DA intends to forge ahead with building an internal investigative capacity. “We are going to build the country’s first metro police detectives branch where we can investigate crime,” Hill-Lewis stated, emphasizing that the city must be empowered to see cases through to conviction to keep dangerous individuals behind bars.
The mayoral candidate noted that the national government has successfully devolved similar powers in the past. Despite what he described as positive, ongoing consultations with three different police ministers over the years regarding the devolution of criminal investigation powers to Cape Town, recent legislative progress has stalled. Hill-Lewis pointed out that a police amendment act currently before parliament entirely omits the provisions discussed during those ministerial meetings.
Frustrated by the legislative inertia, the DA is taking the issue directly to the voters. Hill-Lewis issued a direct challenge to any political opponents who might try to block the initiative, daring them to visit Delft and justify their opposition to the residents. He highlighted that the local community suffers daily under the threat of gang violence, while their reported crimes are left uninvestigated and allowed to fall by the wayside, leaving perpetrators free to reoffend.
By championing this localized detective branch, the DA aims to bypass bureaucratic bottlenecks, ensure rigorous case management, and deliver tangible, long-term safety to the residents of Cape Town.