Africa-Press – South-Africa. After a tough year, the Western Cape police’s top brass walked around some of Cape Town’s most popular beachside holiday attractions on Wednesday to let people know they are there for them this festive season.
“How are you today?” asked the province’s commissioner Lieutenant General Thembisile Patekile, going on to his haunches to greet the early birds bathing round the bright blue Sea Point pavilion pools.
He and his entourage did a low-key walkabout handing out car licence disc holders.
The officers were received warmly.
“Thank you, thank you for being here,” said members of one family, efficiently arranged under an umbrella as the sun blasted down.
Patekile chatted amiably with bathers lying on the ground drying off after a swim.
He sang happy birthday to a mum celebrating with a group of children swirling excitedly around her at a pool picnic in her honour, complete with the second verse of “May Allah keep you”, to the delight of the small children with their wild holiday haircuts and hair dyes, clapping in time.
The public relations exercise gave the officers on the beach a brief respite from a terrible year of violence, which began with the arrest of a man accused of setting Parliament alight, middled out with “sharrupgate” when Police Minister Bheki Cele lost his temper at a community meeting, and wound down with some of the city’s most notorious alleged organised crime players awaiting trial behind bars.
In the course of the year the police have lost many of their own, most recently Grassy Park’s Constable Ashwin Pedro, killed in the line of duty while trying to get a firearm off someone.
It is the first holiday season since the lockdown was lifted, and on Wednesday, it was difficult to imagine the eerie desolation of the promenade at the height of the pandemic.
People glided along the promenade on hired scooters and caught up with friends for some unrushed exercise and conversation, while homeless people blinked into the sun as they emerged from their tents in a cordoned off section of grass near the tennis courts.
Patekile was joined by deputy commissioners Mpumelelo Manci, Preston Voskuil and other officers.
“We want them to have that feeling of safety,” said Patekile of the holidaymakers and visitors.
“We want to make sure that those chance takers who want to try at this time, don’t find an opportunity and to prevent them.”
“This is a time of peace. And this is why police are in numbers here. Enjoy yourself,” he said.
Patekile said the safe season efforts include helping to prevent domestic violence, which includes help and monitoring from community policing forums, the religious fraternity, and the anti-gender-based violence (GBV) desks established in police stations.
“At each station we have retained members who will deal with GBV cases,” he explained.
He commended the communities involved in these partnerships with the police, such as the community policing forums and the counsellors.
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